How Much Can a Landlord Raise Rent in 2027? The Caps by State and City, and the Notice Deadlines

Late October is when the question gets urgent. Leases renew in the new year, the annual figures have just been published, and in the states with the longest notice periods the window for a January 1 increase has already closed. A landlord needs two numbers before sending anything: the most the rent can go up, and the earliest date it can take effect. A tenant holding a notice needs the same two numbers to check it.

The 2027 Rent Increase Caps

Three states cap increases statewide. Everywhere else, caps come from city or county rent stabilization, which covers specific units rather than a whole market. These are the published figures as of October 2026.

Where	Maximum increase	Period	Formula and coverage
Washington	10%	January 1 to December 31, 2027	7% plus Seattle-area CPI, or 10%, whichever is less. Most units under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act. 5% for manufactured home space rent. Up from 9.683% in 2026.
Oregon	10%	Calendar year 2027	7% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is less. Most residential tenancies; 6% for larger manufactured home parks. Up from 9.5% in 2026.
California (AB 1482)	5% plus regional CPI, never above 10%	Increases effective August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027	San Francisco area 8.8% (5% + 3.8%). Los Angeles area 8.7% (5% + 3.7%). Other regions use their own April CPI. Measured against the lowest rent in the prior 12 months.
Los Angeles (RSO units)	3%	July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027	Rent-stabilized units, generally buildings of two or more units built before October 1978. No separate utility or extra-occupant add-ons.
New York City (rent-stabilized)	0% for 1-year and 2-year leases	Leases starting October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027	Set by the Rent Guidelines Board's June 2026 vote. Market-rate apartments are not covered.

Sources: the Washington Department of Commerce, Oregon's Department of Administrative Services, the San Francisco Rent Board and Los Angeles County for AB 1482, the Los Angeles Housing Department for RSO, and the New York City Rent Guidelines Board.

Other places run their own programs with their own yearly numbers, including Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, Maryland, St. Paul, Minnesota, dozens of New Jersey towns, and many California cities such as Oakland, Berkeley and Santa Monica. Where a local rule covers a unit, it usually sets a lower number than the state cap, and the lower number is the one that applies.

Which Units the Caps Do Not Cover

A cap only matters if your unit is under it, and each state carves out a lot.

• Newer buildings. Oregon and California exempt buildings whose first certificate of occupancy is less than 15 years old, counted on a rolling basis. Washington exempts new construction for its first 12 years.
• Single-family homes and condos (California). Exempt from AB 1482 when owned by an individual rather than a corporation or REIT, but only if the lease contains the statute's written exemption notice.
• Small owner-occupied buildings. Washington exempts a duplex, triplex or fourplex where the owner lives in one of the units. California exempts an owner-occupied duplex.
• Subsidized and public housing. Regulated affordable housing follows its own program rules in all three states.

Timing rules also apply to covered units. Oregon and Washington prohibit any increase during the first year of a tenancy and allow one increase per 12 months after that. California allows at most two increases in 12 months, which together cannot exceed the cap.

How to Calculate the Maximum New Rent

The formula is the same everywhere a percentage cap applies:

Maximum new rent = current rent × (1 + cap).

Oregon or Washington. A unit renting for $1,800 can go up by at most $1,800 × 0.10 = $180, to $1,980 a month in 2027.

San Francisco under AB 1482. A $3,000 unit can go up by at most $3,000 × 0.088 = $264, to $3,264. If the rent was lowered to $2,900 for part of the last 12 months, the cap runs from $2,900: $2,900 × 1.088 = $3,155.20.

Los Angeles RSO. A $2,000 rent-stabilized unit can go up by at most 3%, to $2,060.

The mistakes that cost landlords are rarely the multiplication. They are using last year's percentage (California's changes every August 1, Washington's and Oregon's every January 1), using the wrong CPI region in California, and stacking two increases in one year past the cap. In Oregon a landlord who exceeds the cap can owe the tenant three months' rent plus actual damages.

When Notice Has to Go Out for a January 2027 Increase

The cap says how much. The notice period says when, and it is the half landlords miss. An increase served with too little notice is not a smaller increase; in most states it is no increase until the full period has run.

Where	Minimum notice	Last day to serve for January 1, 2027
Washington	90 days, on the state's required form	October 3, 2026 (passed)
Oregon	90 days, in writing	October 3, 2026 (passed)
New York State	For increases of 5% or more: 30, 60 or 90 days, depending on whether the tenant has lived there under 1 year, 1 to 2 years, or 2 years or more	December 2, November 2, or October 3, 2026
Maine	45 days; 75 days for an increase of 10% or more, counting smaller increases in 12 months together	November 17 or October 18, 2026
California	30 days for 10% or less on a month-to-month tenancy (90 days above 10% where no cap applies)	December 2, 2026, in hand; earlier if mailed

If the date has passed, the increase is not lost, only later. Count forward from the day the tenant actually receives the notice. In Washington or Oregon, a notice delivered on October 26, 2026 can take effect no earlier than January 24, 2027. Mailing adds days in several states, so serve it in person or allow the extra time. And if the new rent starts mid-month, the first partial month at the new rate is a prorated rent calculation.

For most other states, a month-to-month increase needs 30 days' notice, a few require 60, and a fixed-term lease cannot be changed until it ends unless it says otherwise. Our guide to whether a landlord can raise rent mid-lease covers the exceptions.

If You Are a Tenant Who Just Got a Notice

Check three things. First, coverage: find out whether your building is under a state cap or a local program (the exemptions above). Second, the math: multiply your current rent, or the lowest rent you paid in the last 12 months in California, by the cap. Third, the date: count the notice period from the day you received it. If any of the three fails, reply in writing, name the law, and ask for a corrected notice. A local tenant union, rent board or legal aid office can confirm the rule where you live, and if the increase is legal but more than you can carry, our guide to negotiating rent at renewal still applies.

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This article is general information from IROIRO, LLC and not legal advice. Rent caps are recalculated every year and local ordinances change; confirm the current figure and notice rule with your state or city housing agency, or speak with a landlord-tenant attorney or legal aid office in your area.

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