Question 1

Does California have statewide rent control?

Accepted Answer

Yes. California has had statewide rent control since the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) took effect on January 1, 2020. For covered residential properties it caps annual rent increases at 5% plus the local rate of inflation, with a hard ceiling of 10% in any 12-month period, and it gives tenants "just cause" eviction protection. The Act is scheduled to remain in effect until January 1, 2030. The cap is not the whole picture, because the Act exempts several categories of housing. Single-family homes and condominiums are exempt provided the owner is not a real estate investment trust, a corporation, or an LLC with at least one corporate member — and provided the owner gives the tenant the required written exemption notice. Housing built within the previous 15 years is also exempt on a rolling basis. Where the exemption is not properly claimed and disclosed, the property defaults to being covered by both the rent cap and the just-cause eviction rules. For Ventura County owners the practical takeaway is procedural: the exemption for single-family homes and condos depends on serving the correct disclosure to each tenant. Miss the notice and an otherwise-exempt property becomes subject to the cap. Because the rules turn on entity type, property age, and proper notice, owners should confirm their specific situation against the statute or with counsel before relying on an exemption. County Property Management can supply the exemption disclosure and keep it current as tenancies turn over. Update (2026-06-25): The inflation figure in the cap is the regional CPI, which is published annually and varies by area — so the exact maximum increase differs by region and resets each year. Always check the current CPI for the property's metro area before issuing an increase notice. Update (2026-06-25): The single-family-home and condo exemption from AB 1482 is not automatic: the owner must serve a written exemption notice, and every successive tenant must receive it, or the property defaults to being covered by both the rent cap and just-cause rules. Note also that a no-fault just-cause termination requires paying the tenant one month of rent as relocation assistance.

Question 2

How much can a landlord raise the rent each year in California?

Accepted Answer

For a covered unit, a landlord cannot raise the rent by more than 5% plus the local rate of inflation (the regional Consumer Price Index), or 10%, whichever is lower, in any 12-month period. That ceiling comes from California's Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) and applies statewide, including throughout Ventura County. Because the inflation figure is the regional CPI — published annually and different by metro area — the exact maximum changes each year, so always check the current CPI for the property's area before serving an increase notice.

The cap does not apply to every property. Single-family homes and condominiums are exempt if the owner is not a corporation, a real estate investment trust, or an LLC with a corporate member, and the owner gives the tenant the required written exemption notice. Housing built within the previous 15 years is also exempt on a rolling basis. If the exemption is not properly claimed and disclosed, the property defaults to being covered by both the rent cap and the just-cause eviction rules. The Act is scheduled to remain in effect until January 1, 2030.

This is general information, not legal advice. Because the limit turns on entity type, property age, proper notice, and the current regional CPI, confirm your specific situation against the statute or with counsel before issuing an increase. County Property Management can prepare the exemption disclosure and keep the increase within the current limit as tenancies turn over.