Los Angeles RSO Rent Increase Rules 2026: 1%-4%

The RSO amendment didn't take effect all at once. Two provisions were eliminated immediately on February 2, 2026: the additional 1% increase previously allowed when a landlord pays for gas and/or electricity, and the additional 10% increase previously allowed when a dependent was added to a tenancy. Both of those surcharges are gone as of that date, regardless of which increase formula otherwise applies.

[Cite: LAHD, Renter Protections]

The core formula change, cutting the calculation from 100% of CPI to 90% and narrowing the range, is a separate matter with a later date. It applies starting July 1, 2026, meaning it first controls the annual cycle that begins on that date rather than retroactively touching the cycle already underway.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Rent Increase Calculator]

Under the prior rule, LA calculated the annual allowable increase as 100% of the change in the regional Consumer Price Index, bounded by a floor of 3% and a ceiling of 8%. The amended formula instead uses 90% of CPI, with a floor of 1% and a ceiling of 4%. Both the multiplier and the range moved down, which is why property owners and tenant advocates alike have described this as a meaningfully smaller allowable increase going forward compared to the prior formula.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Rent Increase Calculator]

Los Angeles County has its own, separate rent stabilization rules for unincorporated areas, and those are not affected by this change to the City's ordinance. A landlord should confirm which jurisdiction, city or county, actually governs a specific address before applying either formula.

The cycle that started July 1, 2025 and runs through June 30, 2026 was already set under the old formula before the amendment passed, so it remains at 3%. Landlords with covered units shouldn't treat this current 3% figure as evidence that the new formula hasn't taken hold. It reflects a cycle that predates the July 1, 2026 effective date, not the ongoing state of the rule.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Rent Increase Calculator]

As of this writing, LAHD hasn't published the specific percentage that will apply to the cycle beginning July 1, 2026. That's consistent with how these figures typically get calculated: the CPI data used to compute the number for a given cycle isn't finalized until shortly before that cycle starts, so the department publishes the final figure closer to the effective date rather than a year or more in advance. Property managers who need the exact number for the 2026-27 cycle should check LAHD's rent increase calculator again as the date approaches rather than assuming any percentage currently listed for that period is final.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Rent Increase Calculator]

What's confirmed now is the mechanism and the range, 90% of CPI, bounded between 1% and 4%. What isn't confirmed yet is where inside that range the actual 2026-27 figure will land.

Coverage under the RSO depends on when a building was first constructed. The ordinance applies to residential rental buildings first built on or before October 1, 1978. A property manager unsure whether a specific building falls on the covered side of that date can check the building's records through the City's ZIMAS parcel information system rather than relying on an assumption.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Overview]

Units built after that date generally fall instead under the City's separate Just Cause Ordinance, which governs eviction protections but doesn't impose the RSO's annual increase cap.

[Cite: LAHD, Renter Protections]

Construction date isn't the only factor. Several categories of units are exempt from RSO rent-increase coverage even when the surrounding building predates October 1, 1978. Single-family homes are exempt, unless two or more units sit on the same legal parcel. Condominiums and townhomes are exempt if the current tenancy began after December 31, 1995. Units occupied by the owner aren't subject to the rent-increase cap. Hotel and motel rooms occupied 30 days or less fall outside RSO coverage as well, and a landlord can apply for a Luxury Exemption for qualifying units under separate program rules.

[Cite: LAHD, RSO Overview]

An exemption from the RSO's local cap doesn't necessarily mean there's no limit at all. Many exempt units, including single-family homes and condos with post-1995 tenancies, are still covered by California's statewide Tenant Protection Act, which caps annual increases at 5% plus local inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower, for tenants who've occupied the unit for 12 months or more. A landlord managing an RSO-exempt unit should check whether the state cap applies rather than assuming the increase is unrestricted.

[Cite: California Civil Code section 1947.12, Tenant Protection Act]

Notice periods for rent increases in Los Angeles follow California's statewide rule rather than a separate City-specific schedule. A standard increase requires 30 days' written notice. If the increase, alone or combined with other increases in the same 12-month period, exceeds 10%, the landlord must give 90 days' written notice instead.

[Cite: LAHD, Renter Protections]

For an increase inside the RSO's 1%-4% range once the new formula applies, the standard 30-day notice period will apply, since a figure in that range falls well under the 10% threshold that triggers the longer notice requirement.