The 2024-2025 California Maximum Allowable Rent Increase Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Introduction

California's housing market is one of the most competitive in the nation, with high demand and limited supply driving up rents. To protect tenants from excessive rent increases, the state has implemented a series of laws that limit how much landlords can raise rents each year. This guide will provide you with the essential details about California's new maximum allowable rent increase guide for 2024-2025.

What's New for 2024-2025?

California Assembly Bill 1482, signed into law in September 2022, extended the state's COVID-19 tenant protections and established new rent increase limits for 2024-2025. Here are the key changes:

• Maximum allowable rent increase lowered: The maximum allowable rent increase for properties covered by the law has been decreased from 10% (plus inflation) to 5% (plus inflation) for 2024 and 7% (plus inflation) for 2025.

• Extension of COVID-19 tenant protections: The tenant protection measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the eviction moratorium and rent relief program, have been extended until January 31, 2025.

Who is Covered?

The new rent increase limits apply to all residential rental units in California, except:

• Single-family homes or duplexes where the owner also lives on the property
• Properties built within the past 15 years
• Units owned by local government agencies
• Units subject to rent control ordinances adopted by local governments

Calculating the Rent Increase

To calculate your maximum allowable rent increase for 2024-2025, follow these steps:

1. Determine the current rent: This is the rent you are currently paying.

2. Calculate the inflation factor: The California Department of Housing and Community Development publishes an annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustment factor. For 2024, the CPI adjustment factor is 3.2%.

3. Apply the inflation factor to the current rent: Multiply the current rent by the CPI adjustment factor (e.g., $1,000 x 1.032 = $1,032).

4. Add the maximum allowable percentage increase: For 2024, the maximum allowable percentage increase is 5%. Add this percentage to the inflated rent (e.g., $1,032 + $51.60 = $1,083.60).

This gives you the maximum allowable rent for 2024. Repeat the process for 2025, using the 7% maximum allowable percentage increase.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming the rent increase applies to all properties: The new rent increase limits only apply to properties not covered by exemptions (see above).

• Applying the maximum allowable increase every year: Landlords cannot raise the rent by the maximum allowable amount every year. The maximum increase is only allowed once every 12 months.

• Ignoring tenant protections: Even with the new rent increase limits, tenants still have certain protections, such as the eviction moratorium and the right to a rent adjustment hearing.

How to Dispute a Rent Increase

If you believe your landlord has raised the rent illegally, you can take the following steps:

1. Document the rent increase: Keep a copy of the notice of rent increase and any other relevant documents.

2. Contact a tenant advocacy organization: There are many organizations that can provide free or low-cost assistance to tenants facing rent increases.

3. File a complaint with the local rent board: If your city or county has a rent board, you may be able to file a complaint and request a rent adjustment hearing.

Compare Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Protects tenants from excessive rent increases
• Extends COVID-19 tenant protections
• Provides a clear and predictable mechanism for calculating rent increases

Cons:

• May not be sufficient to keep pace with inflation in some areas
• Can make it more difficult for landlords to cover rising operating costs

Call to Action

Understanding California's maximum allowable rent increase guide is crucial for both tenants and landlords. Tenants should be aware of their rights and protections, while landlords should ensure they are complying with the law.

If you have any questions or concerns about rent increases, we encourage you to seek professional advice from a tenant advocacy organization or real estate attorney.

Additional Resources:

• California Department of Housing and Community Development
• California Tenants Union
• Eviction Defense Network

Appendix

Table 1: Maximum Allowable Rent Increases for 2024-2025

Table 2: Exemptions to the Rent Increase Limits

Table 3: Common Mistakes to Avoid