Which Bay Area Cities Have Rent Control in 2026?

Answer first: Most Bay Area renters are covered by California's statewide rent cap, the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482). For increases that start between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027, it allows at most 8.8% a year in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, and 8.6% in Santa Clara, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. Thirteen Bay Area cities and towns also have local rent limits for older apartments, from 1.0% a year in Berkeley to 5% in San Jose, Hayward and Concord. Your building's age and type decide which rule applies.

Use this page to find which rules may apply to you. Then confirm with your city's rent program before you act.

General information, not legal advice. A building-age check is a signal, not a rent control determination. Figures were checked on October 1, 2026 on each city's own site or the California Attorney General's site. Rates change every year, and some cities recalculate every month or two. Confirm with your city's rent program or a tenant counseling group.

The statewide cap: the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)

The Tenant Protection Act is in California Civil Code section 1947.12. The Attorney General says landlords cannot raise the rent more than 10% total, or 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, whichever is lower, over a 12-month period.

The Attorney General publishes the maximum for each region:

Who it does not cover. The Attorney General and the law list these exemptions, among others:

• housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years (a rolling timeline, so a building gains coverage once it turns 15);
• single-family homes and condos owned by individuals, not by a corporation or a real estate investment trust, if the landlord gave the required written notice;
• a duplex where the owner lives in the other unit;
• dorms run by schools;
• deed-restricted affordable housing; and
• units covered by a local rent control law that is stricter than AB 1482.

Just cause. After 12 months of tenancy, the Attorney General says a landlord needs a "just cause" to evict. That can be an at-fault reason, such as nonpayment, or a no-fault reason, such as an owner moving in.

Sunset. The law says section 1947.12 remains in effect until January 1, 2030.

State and city together. The Attorney General says that if your city or county cap gives a lower increase than the Tenant Protection Act, the local rule applies. It also says local rent caps do not apply to buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued after February 1, 1995, or to most single-family homes or condos. That limit comes from the state's Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act.

City rent caps in force on October 1, 2026

Each figure below comes from the city's own site or the Attorney General's table of local rent caps.

Single-family homes and condos are generally outside every city cap above, because of Costa-Hawkins. Many of these cities also have eviction protections that reach more units than the rent cap does.

City by city

San Francisco

The Rent Board's allowable increase is 1.6% for March 1, 2026 to February 28, 2027. It covers units with a certificate of occupancy on or before June 13, 1979. Most single-family homes and condos are exempt from the rent limit if the tenancy started on or after January 1, 1996. Our San Francisco rent control guide explains the 1979 cutoff, banked increases and how to check your unit.

Source: SF Rent Board.

Oakland

Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program says the allowable annual increase is 2.3% from August 1, 2026. It runs to July 31, 2027. The rate was 0.8% from August 1, 2025. The formula is 60% of the change in CPI, or 3%, whichever is lower. Oakland lists new construction built after January 1, 1983, and single-family homes and condos exempt under Costa-Hawkins, as exempt from the rent limits.

Source: Oakland Rent Adjustment Program and allowable rent increases.

Berkeley

The Berkeley Rent Board says the 2026 Annual General Adjustment is 1.0%, from January 1, 2026. Most multi-unit properties built before June 1980 are fully covered. Condos, single-family homes with tenancies from January 1, 1996, and units with a certificate of occupancy after June 1980 are only partly covered.

Source: Berkeley Rent Board: Annual General Adjustment and Is your unit covered by rent control?.

San Jose

San Jose's Apartment Rent Ordinance covers buildings with 3 or more units that were built and occupied before September 7, 1979. It allows one increase of up to 5% in a 12-month period.

Source: Attorney General: local rent caps and San Jose Rent Stabilization Program.

Mountain View

The Attorney General's table lists 2.5% for September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. The formula is 100% of the change in CPI, between 2% and 5%. Mountain View says rent stabilization covers most buildings with 3 or more units built before February 1, 1995, and eviction protections cover most buildings with 3 or more units built before December 23, 2016.

Source: Attorney General: local rent caps and Mountain View Rent Stabilization Division.

Hayward

Hayward says a landlord may raise a tenant's rent once in a 12-month period by 5% or less. With banked increases, the total may be up to 10%. Covered units are mostly multi-unit properties built before July 1, 1979. Single-unit properties exempt under Costa-Hawkins are not covered.

Source: Hayward: information for landlords.

East Palo Alto

East Palo Alto's allowable increase is 2.0% for July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. Units that received a certificate of occupancy on or after January 1, 1988 are exempt. So are single-family homes on parcels with only one unit, and other units exempt under Costa-Hawkins.

Source: East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization: rent increases and applicability.

Richmond

Richmond's 2026 Annual General Adjustment is 1.5%, for increases that take effect from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. The city says it applies to tenants who moved in before September 1, 2025. Rent control covers multi-unit properties on one parcel built before February 1, 1995. Single-family homes and condos are exempt.

Source: Richmond Rent Program: rent increase.

Alameda

The City of Alameda's Annual General Adjustment is 2.7% for September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2027. It covers properties with 2 or more units built before February 1995.

Source: Alameda Rent Program.

Concord

Concord says the allowable annual rent increase is 5%, as of August 1, 2025. This replaced the earlier cap of 3% or 60% of CPI, whichever was lower. It covers multifamily buildings built before February 1, 1995.

Source: Concord Rent Stabilization and Just Cause for Eviction.

Antioch

Antioch recalculates its allowable increase every 1 to 2 months, at 60% of the change in CPI with a 3% maximum. For September 14 to November 10, 2026, it is 2.04%. Units that first got a certificate of occupancy after February 1, 1995 are exempt. So are single-family homes that do not share a parcel with another unit. Check the city's page for the rate on the date your increase takes effect.

Source: Antioch Rent Program.

Larkspur

Larkspur limits increases in a 12-month period to 5% plus CPI or 7%, whichever is lower. The Attorney General says the rate is recalculated monthly. Check the city's rent program for the current figure.

Source: Larkspur: eviction protections and rent regulation.

Los Gatos

Los Gatos runs a rental dispute resolution program. The town says rent limits apply only to properties with 3 or more rental units, and that an annual increase of 5%, or 70% of the applicable CPI, is presumed valid. Check the town's rent program for how it applies to you.

Source: Los Gatos: rental dispute resolution FAQs.

Coming in 2027: San Leandro

San Leandro has adopted a rent stabilization ordinance. The city says it takes effect on January 1, 2027. Until then, the state cap applies to covered units.

Source: San Leandro Rent Program.

Cities with rent review, not a cap

Fremont and Union City have rent review programs. A large increase can trigger a review, but there is no cap. The statewide cap still applies to covered units.

Sources: Fremont Rent Review Program and Union City Rent Review Ordinance FAQ.

How to work out which rule applies to you

1. Find your city. Is your home inside one of the cities above? An address in an unincorporated area follows the county's rules, not a nearby city's.
2. Find the building's age and type. Look for the year of the first certificate of occupancy and the number of units on the parcel.
3. Apply the city rule first. If your unit is covered by a city cap, that cap applies when it is lower than the state cap.
4. If not, check the state cap. If your building is more than 15 years old and not otherwise exempt, AB 1482 likely applies.
5. Ask. Call your city's rent program, or a tenant counseling group, with your lease and your rent increase notice.

Finding apartments with these protections

Rent control is one more thing to check before you sign. RentReboot's San Francisco rent-controlled apartments page shows listings in buildings our records suggest predate the 1979 cutoff. It is a starting point, not a determination.

RentReboot watches 100+ Bay Area rental sources and sends you the matches by email or text. There is a free plan and optional paid upgrades. Set up Bay Area apartment alerts. To compare the main ways to search, see the best apartment search sites in San Francisco.

Bay Area rent control FAQs

What is the maximum rent increase in the Bay Area in 2026?

Under the statewide cap, the maximum is 8.8% a year for increases that start between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027 in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, and 8.6% in Santa Clara, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties. City rent caps are lower for the units they cover, such as 1.6% in San Francisco and 2.3% in Oakland.

Does AB 1482 apply to my apartment?

It likely applies if your building got its certificate of occupancy more than 15 years ago and it is not otherwise exempt. Single-family homes and condos owned by individuals are exempt if the landlord gave the required notice. Units under a stricter city rent control law follow the city rule.

Which Bay Area cities have rent control?

On October 1, 2026, local rent caps were in force in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Mountain View, Hayward, East Palo Alto, Richmond, Alameda, Concord, Antioch, Larkspur and Los Gatos. San Leandro's ordinance takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Are condos and single-family homes rent controlled in the Bay Area?

Generally not under city rent caps, because of the state's Costa-Hawkins law. They may still be covered by the state cap if a corporation or a real estate investment trust owns them, or if the landlord did not give the required notice. Some city eviction protections also still apply.

How often can my landlord raise the rent?

Most city rules and the state cap allow one increase in a 12-month period. Check your city's rules for notice periods and banked increases.

Who can tell me for sure if my unit is covered?

Your city's rent program. In San Francisco that is the Rent Board. Bring your lease, your rent history and any rent increase notice.

More Bay Area renter guides

• Is My San Francisco Apartment Rent Controlled?: the 1979 cutoff, Costa-Hawkins and banked increases.
• How Do San Francisco Housing Lotteries Work?: below-market-rate rentals and preferences.
• What Does It Cost to Rent in the Bay Area in 2026?: asking rents by city and neighborhood.
• Bay Area apartment alerts

Sources

Checked on October 1, 2026. Rates change every year, and some cities recalculate more often. Recheck these sources before you rely on them.

1. California Attorney General: Rent caps: the AB 1482 maximum by region, the table of local rent caps (San Jose, Mountain View and others), and how state and local caps interact.
2. California Attorney General: Landlord-tenant issues: the AB 1482 formula, exemptions and just cause.
3. California Civil Code section 1947.12: the rent cap, its exemptions and the January 1, 2030 sunset.
4. California Civil Code section 1954.52: Costa-Hawkins exemptions.
5. SF Rent Board: 2026 annual increase
6. Oakland Rent Adjustment Program and allowable rent increases
7. Berkeley Rent Board: Annual General Adjustment and coverage
8. San Jose Rent Stabilization Program
9. Mountain View Rent Stabilization Division
10. Hayward: information for landlords
11. East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization: rent increases and applicability
12. Richmond Rent Program: rent increase
13. Alameda Rent Program: 2026 Annual General Adjustment
14. Concord Rent Stabilization
15. Antioch Rent Program
16. Larkspur: eviction protections and rent regulation
17. Los Gatos: rental dispute resolution FAQs
18. San Leandro Rent Program
19. Fremont Rent Review Program and Union City Rent Review Ordinance FAQ