What should the renewal rent be?
We weigh the lease term, the resident's payment and conduct history, inflation in your county, the home's condition and what comparable homes rent for. Fill in what you know. If any of it feels like a lot, call us and we'll run it with you.
The home and the current rent
Condition of the home
Market rent
The resident's history
Answer for the current lease term, or the past 12 months if the resident is month-to-month.
The proposed term
How the renewal rate is calculated
Every renewal starts from the current rent. We weigh the home's condition, local inflation, the resident's history during the current lease, the lease term and current market rents, then apply a common cents adjustment to this calculation so the result stays in line with the market. The calculator never lowers the rent, and on a home covered by statewide rent control it never goes over the limit.
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The rental (optional)
A resident who pays on time and takes care of the home is worth a lot. A small increase, or none, often earns more over the next few years than a bigger number that sends them looking for a new place.
Small upgrades that keep good residents
A renewal doesn't have to be only about the rent. A small, one-time upgrade can make a rent increase feel fair and give a good resident a reason to stay. It usually costs far less than a turnover.
Before you send it
- Rent control covers the whole increase. If the home is covered by AB 1482, the total, including any month-to-month premium, can't go over 5% plus local inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower, in any 12 months.
- Local rent control can be stricter. Cities like Los Angeles have their own limits.
- Notice. On a month-to-month tenancy, an increase of 10% or less needs 30 days' written notice; more than 10% needs 90 days (Civil Code 827).
- Apply it the same way to every resident. A written, consistent formula is what makes it fair and defensible.
Inflation and rent control figures by region
We use the same inflation figures California uses for its statewide rent control: the change in the Consumer Price Index for your region, April over April (March over March for the Riverside and San Diego areas, where there is no April figure), published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They update automatically when new figures take effect each August 1. The calculator finds your region from the rental's ZIP code.
| Region | Counties | Inflation | Rent control limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles area | Los Angeles, Orange | 3.7% | 8.7% |
| Riverside area | Riverside, San Bernardino | 3.1% | 8.1% |
| San Diego area | San Diego | 3.2% | 8.2% |
| San Francisco area | Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo | 3.8% | 8.8% |
| Rest of California | Every other county, including Ventura, Kern and Imperial | 3.6% | 8.6% |
This calculator is a guide, not legal advice. Rent control figures for August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index · California Department of Industrial Relations, California Consumer Price Index · California Civil Code 1947.12, 1942.5 and 827.