Statewide Rent Caps in California, Oregon and Washington (2026)
How the three statewide rent caps work in 2026: the formulas, this year’s maximum increases, notice periods, first-year limits and who is exempt.
By Seayora Editorial Team · Published · Facts checked · 4 min read
Short answer: Three states cap annual rent increases for most market-rate rentals. California allows 5% plus regional inflation, never more than 10%, over any 12 months. Oregon allows 7% plus inflation, never more than 10%: 9.5% in 2026 and 10% in 2027. Washington allows 7% plus inflation, never more than 10%, and set 9.683% for 2026. Newer buildings are exempt in all three, and each state has its own notice and just-cause rules.
Key takeaways
- California’s cap runs over any 12-month period and allows at most two increases in that time.
- Oregon and Washington both bar any increase in the first year of a tenancy and require 90 days’ written notice.
- New-construction exemptions differ: 15 years in California and Oregon, 12 years in Washington.
- All three let the owner set a new rent when a tenant moves out.
How do the three caps compare?
| California | Oregon | Washington | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | Civil Code § 1947.12 (AB 1482) | ORS 90.323 and 90.324 | RCW 59.18.700 and .710 (HB 1217) |
| Formula | 5% plus regional CPI, maximum 10% | 7% plus West Region CPI, maximum 10% | 7% plus Seattle-area CPI, maximum 10% |
| 2026 maximum | Depends on the region; for example 6.3% in Alameda for August 2025 to July 2026 | 9.5% (10% for 2027) | 9.683% |
| First year of tenancy | No separate bar | No increase | No increase |
| Notice | 30 days, or 90 days for more than 10% | 90 days in writing | 90 days in writing |
| New construction exempt | Certificate of occupancy within 15 years | Certificate of occupancy within 15 years | Certificate of occupancy within 12 years |
| Ends | January 1, 2030 | No end date | July 1, 2040 |
How does California’s Tenant Protection Act work?
Over any 12-month period, a covered unit’s rent may rise by no more than 5% plus the percentage change in the regional Consumer Price Index, or 10%, whichever is lower, in no more than two increments (Civil Code § 1947.12). Many cities publish the resulting figure for their region; Alameda, for example, calculated 6.3% for August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026. The owner may set any rent for a new tenancy once the prior tenants have left.
After a tenant has lived in the unit for 12 months, the owner also needs a just cause to end the tenancy (Civil Code § 1946.2). For a no-fault reason such as an owner move-in or a substantial remodel, the owner must pay relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent or waive the final month. SB 567 tightened those two no-fault reasons and the penalties from April 1, 2024. The California Attorney General summarizes the law in a consumer alert for landlords.
Units built within the last 15 years are exempt, as are single-family homes and condominiums that are not owned by a real estate investment trust, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, but only if the owner gives tenants the exact notice the statute requires. Cities with stricter rent control, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, apply their own rules to the units they cover.
Most other states go the opposite way and forbid their cities from adopting rent control at all. Our state-by-state answer gives the rule and the statute for each state that has one, including the two (Texas and Minnesota) that allow local rent control only on conditions.
How does Oregon’s cap work?
Oregon was the first state with statewide rent stabilization. A landlord may not raise rent during the first year of a tenancy, and after that may raise it once in a 12-month period with at least 90 days’ written notice, by no more than the lesser of 10% or 7% plus inflation (ORS chapter 90). The state’s Office of Economic Analysis publishes the figure by September 30 each year: 9.5% for 2026 and 10% for 2027 (Oregon DAS). Units with a certificate of occupancy issued less than 15 years ago are exempt. Manufactured home parks with more than 30 spaces have a separate 6% limit.
How does Washington’s 2025 law work?
Washington’s rent stabilization law took effect May 7, 2025. A landlord may not raise rent during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and after that may raise it by no more than 7% plus the Seattle-area CPI, or 10%, whichever is less, in any 12-month period (RCW 59.18.700). The Department of Commerce set the maximum at 9.683% for calendar year 2026 (Commerce). Rent increases require 90 days’ written notice, and manufactured home lots have a 5% limit (Washington Attorney General).
Exemptions are listed in RCW 59.18.710: units whose first certificate of occupancy was issued 12 or fewer years before the notice, many nonprofit and public housing units, tax-credit units under a regulatory agreement, a unit where the tenant shares a kitchen or bathroom with the owner, an owner-occupied single-family home renting up to two units, and an owner-occupied duplex, triplex or fourplex. The owner-occupancy exemptions do not apply if the owner is a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member. A tenant overcharged can recover the excess and up to three months of the unlawful rent, and the Attorney General can seek penalties of up to $7,500 per violation.
What about rent control in other states?
New York has rent stabilization for older buildings in New York City and some suburbs, plus the Good Cause Eviction Law’s reasonableness standard; see New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law. Most other states either have no rent cap or prohibit cities from adopting one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I raise the rent by any amount when a tenant moves out?
Yes in all three states: California, Oregon and Washington let the owner set the starting rent for a new tenancy. Local rent control in some California cities may limit that.
Is a single-family home exempt from California’s cap?
Only if it is not owned by a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, and the owner has given tenants the exemption notice in the exact words the statute requires.
What is Washington’s maximum rent increase for 2026?
9.683% for increases taking effect in calendar year 2026, as published by the Department of Commerce, and no increase at all during a tenant’s first 12 months.
State-by-state rules
- Is there rent control? — compared across 32 states and the District of Columbia
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent? — compared across 28 states and the District of Columbia
Sources
- California Civil Code § 1947.12, California Legislative Information
- California Civil Code § 1946.2, California Legislative Information
- Tenant Protection Act: consumer alert for landlords and property managers, California Attorney General
- AB 1482, California Tenant Protection Act FAQ, City of Alameda
- ORS Chapter 90, Residential Landlord and Tenant, Oregon State Legislature
- Rent Stabilization, Oregon Department of Administrative Services, Office of Economic Analysis
- RCW 59.18.700, Prohibition on certain rent increases, Washington State Legislature
- RCW 59.18.710, Exemptions, Washington State Legislature
- Commerce announces 9.683% rent cap for 2026, Washington State Department of Commerce
- Landlord-Tenant, Washington State Attorney General
How Seayora helps
Legal rent increase advisor: Shows the highest increase the law allows for each unit, with the citation, before you send a renewal.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law varies by state and city and changes often, so check the current rule for your property and talk to an attorney before acting on a dispute.
How we write and check these guides: editorial standards.
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