California Rents Could Spike by as Much as 10 Percent

Starting on August 1, California landlords can raise rents by as much as 10 percent, reports Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times. While a state law bars landlords from raising rent by more than 5 percent annually, the legislation also includes an allowance for an inflationary figure that varies by region. “In the first years that the law was in effect, the total allowable increase hovered between 5.7% and 9%.”

However, due to the high rate of inflation, all California regions can set the rent increase cap at 10 percent. “The 10% allowable rent increase applies only to apartment complexes that were built before 2007 and not otherwise subject to local rent control rules. Indeed, in the 22 local jurisdictions that have rent control — Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose among them — allowable rent increases are much smaller for apartments covered by those laws.”

To complicate things further, “If you live in an apartment in California built after 2007, you might qualify for anti-price gouging regulations that limit rent hikes also to no more than 10% within a year during declared states of emergencies.”

To help confused L.A. renters, Dillon links to a guide that outlines the various protections you may qualify for in the city.