How much can you raise rent in California or Washington? The cap, worked out
California caps most rent increases at 5 percent plus the local change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, measured from the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months. Washington caps them at 7 percent plus inflation, or 10 percent, whichever is less: 9.683 percent for increases in 2026 and 10 percent for 2027. Both states publish the yearly number, so the work is picking the right percentage and the right starting rent.
The two statewide caps side by side
Oregon, California and Washington each have a statewide limit on how much rent can rise in a year. Oregon's rule is covered in our post on rent increase notice. This page is about the arithmetic in the other two, because both use a percentage that changes every year and a starting rent that is easy to get wrong.
| California | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | Civil Code 1947.12 (Tenant Protection Act) | RCW 59.18.700 and 59.18.710 |
| Formula | 5% plus the change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower | 7% plus the consumer price index, or 10%, whichever is less |
| Measured from | The lowest gross rent charged in the 12 months before the increase takes effect | The rent during any 12-month period of the tenancy |
| Who publishes the number | The Attorney General posts a table by region | The Department of Commerce sets one number per calendar year |
| Current numbers | Increases starting 8/1/2026 to 7/31/2027: 8.7% (Los Angeles and Orange), 8.1% (Riverside and San Bernardino), 8.2% (San Diego), 8.8% (San Francisco area), 8.6% (all other counties) | 9.683% for increases in 2026; 10% for increases in 2027 |
| Other limits | No more than two increases in 12 months for the same tenant | No increase at all in the first 12 months of a tenancy |
| Ends | The section is repealed on January 1, 2030 | The exemption section expires July 1, 2040 |
Sources: California Civil Code 1947.12, the California Attorney General's rent cap table, RCW 59.18.700, RCW 59.18.710 and the Washington Department of Commerce landlord resource center. A city rule can be stricter than either state's, and in California a stricter local rule applies instead.
California: four steps to the maximum
- Find the date the increase takes effect. That date, not the date you send the notice, decides which row of the Attorney General's table you use. The table runs August 1 to July 31.
- Find the property's region in the table. Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and the San Francisco area each have their own number; every other county uses the statewide one.
- Find the lowest gross rent you charged for that unit at any time in the 12 months before the effective date. The statute measures the cap from that lowest figure, not from today's rent.
- Multiply that lowest rent by one plus the percentage. The result is the most the rent can be on the effective date, counting every increase in those 12 months together.
Example a made-up Los Angeles County unit has rented for $2,000 since last year with no change. The owner plans an increase that takes effect on December 1, 2026, so the 8.7% row applies. The lowest rent in the prior 12 months is $2,000, and $2,000 times 1.087 is $2,174. The new rent can be up to $2,174, an increase of $174.
Example a made-up San Diego County unit rented for $1,900 until January 31, 2026, then went to $2,000 on February 1, 2026. The owner wants a second increase on December 1, 2026. The lowest rent in the 12 months before December 1 is $1,900 (December 2025 and January 2026), and the 8.2% row applies. $1,900 times 1.082 is $2,055.80, so the rent can rise only to $2,055.80, which is $55.80 above today's $2,000. This would also be the second increase in 12 months, the most the statute allows.
The lookback is why owners who raise rent mid-year are surprised. An increase earlier in the year uses up part of the next one.
Washington: the calendar year decides
Washington's number is set once a year by the Department of Commerce for increases taking effect in the next calendar year. For 2026, Commerce used the Seattle-area consumer price index for June 2024 and June 2025 (354.824 and 364.344), which rose about 2.683 percent, and added 7 points to get 9.683 percent. For 2027, the same calculation came out above 10 percent, so the cap is 10 percent.
Example a made-up Spokane unit rents for $1,400. An increase taking effect on December 1, 2026 can be at most 9.683%, or $135.56, for a new rent of $1,535.56. If the owner waits until the increase takes effect on February 1, 2027, the cap is 10%, or $140, for a new rent of $1,540. Either way, Washington also requires a written notice well ahead of the effective date; see rent increase notice.
Two more rules matter in Washington. No increase of any size may take effect during the first 12 months of a tenancy. And if you rely on an exemption to go above the cap, RCW 59.18.700 says the written notice must state the facts that support the exemption. A tenant who gets an increase above the cap can demand that it be reduced and, after that, end the tenancy with at least 20 days' written notice.
Which buildings are left out
Both caps leave out some housing. These are the exemptions most relevant to owners of small and mid-size apartment buildings. Each has conditions in the statute, so read the full text before relying on one.
| Exemption | California (1947.12(d)) | Washington (59.18.710) |
|---|---|---|
| Newer buildings | Certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years | First certificate of occupancy issued 12 or fewer years before the date of the notice |
| Owner lives on site | Two units in one structure where the owner lived in one unit when the tenancy began | A duplex, triplex or fourplex where the owner lived in one unit when the tenancy began and still does |
| Regulated affordable housing | Housing restricted as affordable by deed, agreement or subsidy | Units of housing authorities, certain nonprofits, and tax credit properties with a regulatory agreement |
| Single-family style property | Separately sellable homes not owned by a REIT, corporation or LLC with a corporate member, if tenants got the written notice the statute requires | Single-family owner-occupied homes renting no more than two units or bedrooms |
In Washington, the owner-occupied exemptions do not apply when the owner is a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with at least one corporate member.
A new tenancy resets the clock in California: when no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the starting rent, and the cap applies to increases after that.
The record that makes this easy: twelve months of rent per unit
Every calculation above starts with one number per unit: the rent charged in each month of the last year. If your rent roll only shows today's rent, you cannot prove the lowest figure in California or the 12-month window in Washington. Keep each unit's monthly charges in the ledger, with concessions shown as separate credits, because California does not count discounts or concessions the tenant accepted when finding the lowest gross rent.
Before you send any notice, write down for each unit: the effective date, the region or year percentage you used, the lowest rent in the lookback, the maximum, and the rent you chose. That one line answers most tenant questions.
Doing this in DoorKeeping
DoorKeeping keeps a ledger for every unit inside each property's own books, so twelve months of charges and credits are already there. You can ask Claude or ChatGPT for a unit's rent history and the lowest monthly charge in a date range, then send the renewal offer for e-signature once you approve the amount. DoorKeeping does not decide whether your building is exempt or which percentage applies; that call is yours, with your attorney if you are unsure. It costs $2 per unit per month with no other fees.
Sources
- California Civil Code section 1947.12, read Oct 30, 2026
- California Attorney General, rent increase limits (rentcaps), read Oct 30, 2026
- California Attorney General, landlord-tenant issues, read Oct 30, 2026
- Washington RCW 59.18.700, rent increase limits, read Oct 30, 2026
- Washington RCW 59.18.710, exemptions, read Oct 30, 2026
- Washington Department of Commerce, HB 1217 landlord resource center, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What is the maximum rent increase in Los Angeles County for 2026?
- Under the state cap, increases taking effect from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026 are capped at 8%, and those taking effect from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027 at 8.7%, per the Attorney General's table. A stricter local rent control rule applies instead where one exists.
- What is the Washington rent cap for 2027?
- The Department of Commerce lists 10% for increases taking effect from January 1 to December 31, 2027, because 7% plus the Seattle-area inflation figure came out above 10%.
- Can I raise rent twice a year in California?
- At most twice in 12 months for the same tenant, and the two increases together must stay within the cap measured from the lowest rent in the prior 12 months.
- Does the California cap apply to a new tenant?
- No. When no tenant from the prior tenancy remains, the owner may set the starting rent. The cap then applies to later increases.