Sources and methodology
Where our rules and numbers come from
Every result on this site traces back to a California statute or a published inflation figure. Here's what we used, when we last checked it, and the limits of what the tools can tell you.
Last full review: October 17, 2026
Statutes
- Civil Code § 1947.12: the rent cap formula, the 12-month base, the two-increase limit, exemptions, the exemption notice wording, penalties, and the January 1, 2030 repeal date.
- Civil Code § 1946.2: statewide just cause eviction rules referenced in the exemption notice.
- Civil Code § 827: 30-day and 90-day rent increase notice periods.
- Code of Civil Procedure § 1013: 5 extra days when a notice is mailed within California.
- Civil Code § 1632: translation requirements for agreements negotiated in certain languages.
- California Attorney General, rent caps and local rent control chart: the yearly regional caps and the list of cities with local rent control.
Regional caps for Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027
The statute sets each cap at 5% plus the April-to-April change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the property's metro area, published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, or 10%, whichever is lower. Areas without a metro index use the California CPI published by the state Department of Industrial Relations. Results are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.
| Region | Cap | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | 8.7% | CA Attorney General |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward | 8.8% | CA Attorney General; City and County of San Francisco |
| San Diego-Carlsbad | 8.2% | CA Attorney General |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | 8.1% | CA Attorney General |
| All other counties (California CPI) | 8.6% | CA Attorney General |
The Attorney General's rent cap page was last updated July 16, 2026. We update our figures once a year after the new caps are published. You can also check the underlying data in the BLS regional CPI tables and the California CPI from the Department of Industrial Relations.
How the tools work
- Exemption checker. Walks through the exemptions in § 1947.12(d) in a fixed order. It says "likely" because it relies on your answers and can't verify ownership records, certificates of occupancy, or lease wording. When a situation isn't clearly answered by the statute, such as an ADU on the lot or a notice delivered after July 1, 2020 outside the lease, it says "needs a closer look" instead of guessing.
- Rent cap calculator. Multiplies the lowest rent in the past 12 months by one plus the regional cap and rounds down to the cent. It counts notice days as calendar days and adds 5 days for mail.
- Notice generators. Place your details into a fixed template. The exemption statement is the statute's wording, unchanged.
What these tools don't cover
- Local rent control, just cause, registration, and notice ordinances, which vary by city and change often.
- Mobilehome tenancies, Section 8 and other subsidized tenancies, and commercial leases.
- Whether a specific lease clause, discount, or past increase was handled correctly.
- Evictions, security deposits, and other landlord-tenant rules.
- Changes in the law after the date shown at the top of this page.
Change log
- October 17, 2026: Site launched. Caps for Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 checked against the Attorney General's published figures. Statutory notice wording checked against Civil Code §§ 1946.2(f) and 1947.12(d)(5)(B).
Found an error? Email hello@rentcapready.com and we'll check it against the statute and correct it.