Compare 2026 rent-control caps. Six jurisdictions, one table. Statute-linked. Updated 2026-04-24.
RentCeiling covers California, Los Angeles, Oregon, New York City, Washington DC, and Saint Paul. Two more (Montgomery County MD, Washington State) land next. Below: every 2026 cap, formula, notice period, overcharge remedy, and coverage carve-out — head-to-head.
Caps at a glance
2026 maximum annual rent increase.
Click any jurisdiction for the full calculator, notice-period rules, and statute citations.
Side-by-side
All the math that matters, in one table.
Horizontal scroll on mobile. Every cell is sourced from the rule file under /rules/ and refreshes January + post-ordinance-amendment.
| Field | California | Los Angeles (RSO) | Oregon | New York City | Washington DC | Saint Paul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 cap | 8.8% | 3% → 2.8% proj. Jul 1 | 9.5% | 2.75% 1-yr 5.25% 2-yr |
4.1% standard 2.1% elderly/disabled |
3% standard 8% self-cert 15% petition |
| Formula | 5% + regional CPI, max 10% | Pre Jul 1: flat 3%. Post Jul 1: 0.9×CPI, 1%–4% | min(10%, 7% + West-CPI) | RGB negotiated annually | CPI-W + 2%, max 10% (std) / CPI-W only, max 5% (E/D) | Fixed 3% — not CPI-indexed |
| CPI source | BLS regional CPI-U | BLS LA-Long Beach MSA CPI-U | BLS West-Region CPI-U | n/a — RGB vote | BLS DC-Arlington CPI-W | n/a — fixed in ordinance |
| Annual reset date | Aug 1 (CPI pub.) | Jul 1 (RSO year) | Sep 30 (ORS pub.) | Oct 1 (RGB order) | May 1 (DC Rental Year) | none — statutory |
| Covered buildings | Most residential; SFR carve-out for natural-person LL with exemption notice | Pre-Oct-1-1978 Cert-of-Occ, 2+ units; detached SFR exempt | All residential rentals; <15yr rolling exemption | Pre-1974 buildings, 6+ units; 421-a covered | First CofO pre-1976; owner-occ 1–4u exempt | First CofO on or before Dec 31, 2004; owner-occ 1–4u exempt |
| Notice period | 30 / 90 days (§827(b)) | 30 / 90 days (§827(b)) + 5 mail-days (§1013) | 90 days (ORS §90.323) | Varies by lease term; RTP-8 form | RY-aligned; RAD Form 8 | ≥30 days (§504B.135); DSI pre-file for >3% |
| Overcharge remedy | Treble damages + fees (§1947.12(h)(2)) | Treble damages + fees + eviction defense (§151.10) | 3 months’ rent + damages + fees (§90.323(5)) | DHCR treble damages on willful overcharge | Treble damages + fees (§42-3509.01) | Rollback, refund, license revocation (§193A.08) |
| Banking allowed | No (state) — varies by city ordinance | No | Yes — 1 yr carryover (§90.323(5)) | No | No | No |
| Vacancy decontrol | Yes — full reset on just-cause vacancy | Yes — full decontrol (§151.06(C)) | Partial — no mid-tenancy reset, next tenant at market | No — RSL rider runs with unit | 10% upon lawful vacancy (§42-3502.13) | Partial — 8%+CPI on just-cause vacancy (May 2025) |
| Registration fee | — (AB 1482 has none) | SCEP: $38.75/unit/yr (§161.352) | — (Oregon has none) | DHCR annual RSL registration (landlord) | RAD annual filing + registration | DSI rental-license, annual |
| Statute | Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12 | LAMC §151 | ORS §90.323 | RGB Order #57 | D.C. Code §42-3502.08 | St. Paul Ch. 193A |
Reading the table
Four patterns worth knowing.
1. Statewide caps (CA, OR) are the ceiling — cities go lower, not higher.
California AB 1482 (8.8%) is preempted anywhere the city has a stricter ordinance. In Los Angeles, the RSO's 3% is the binding cap for covered buildings — not 8.8%. The same is true in San Francisco (2.3%), Oakland, Berkeley, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood. Oregon has no local overrides — the state preempts cities. If you have units across CA cities, the per-unit calculation needs the city-vs-state overlay; RentCeiling's California page and Los Angeles page apply the stricter-of rule automatically.
2. The reset date matters as much as the cap.
CA resets August 1, OR September 30, LA RSO July 1, DC May 1, NYC October 1. A notice served before the new cap date uses the old cap; a notice served after uses the new. The effective-date math in the notice itself is on a separate clock — the notice period (§827(b) for CA/LA, ORS §90.323 for OR, RTP-8 timing for NYC, Form 8 timing for DC, §504B.135 for Saint Paul) starts when the tenant receives the notice, NOT when the new cap takes effect. Get either one wrong and the increase is voidable.
3. Overcharge remedies are functionally equivalent — treble damages almost everywhere.
CA §1947.12(h)(2), LA RSO §151.10, DC §42-3509.01, and NYC RSL via DHCR all allow tenants to recover up to three times the overcharge plus attorney fees. Oregon ORS §90.323(5) allows three months' rent plus actual damages and fees. Saint Paul §193A.08 allows rollback, refund, civil penalties, and — uniquely — revocation of the rental license. The common thread is that a single miscalculation can exceed a year of net operating income on a 1–4 unit property. Insurance usually does not cover it.
4. Vacancy decontrol is where ordinances quietly diverge.
CA and LA RSO allow full vacancy decontrol on just-cause vacancies — the unit resets to market. DC allows a 10% bump on lawful vacancy, and NYC's RSL runs with the unit (no reset). Saint Paul's May 2025 amendment created a "partial vacancy decontrol" of 8% + CPI limited to just-cause vacancies. Oregon has no vacancy-decontrol mechanism — the next tenant's rent is market, but mid-tenancy increases remain capped. If you are underwriting acquisition, the vacancy-decontrol rule is the single most consequential line in this table.
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FAQ
Six questions landlords ask once they see the comparison.
Which U.S. jurisdiction has the lowest 2026 rent-control cap?
Among the six RentCeiling covers, NYC at 2.75% (RGB Order #57, 1-year lease) has the lowest standard cap. DC's elderly/disability tier is 2.1%. Los Angeles RSO's projected 2026–27 cap (from July 1) is 2.8%. Saint Paul's standard is 3%. CA (8.8%) and OR (9.5%) are highest because they are CPI-indexed statewide caps, not negotiated.
Which jurisdictions cap increases by the calendar year vs. fiscal year?
Calendar year-ish: CA (Aug 1), OR (Sep 30), NYC (Oct 1). Fiscal-year-ish: DC (May 1 Rental Year), LA RSO (July 1 RSO year). Statutory-fixed (no reset): Saint Paul Chapter 193A. When planning a notice across jurisdictions, always confirm which side of the reset date your effective-date lands on.
Where is the overcharge penalty most severe?
Treble damages are available in all five statute-driven jurisdictions (CA, LA RSO, DC, NYC, and — via three-months'-rent-plus-fees — OR). Saint Paul adds rental-license revocation, which is operationally the worst because it forecloses future rentals, not just the current overcharge refund. Assume treble-damage exposure in all six and plan accordingly.
Which jurisdictions allow banking of unused rent-increase capacity?
Only Oregon allows explicit banking (ORS §90.323(5), one-year carryover). California AB 1482 disallows banking statewide, though San Francisco's local ordinance permits limited banking. NYC, DC, LA RSO, and Saint Paul all disallow banking — the cap is a per-12-month-period ceiling, and unused room is forfeited at year-end.
Do these caps apply to single-family rentals?
CA AB 1482 exempts SFRs only if the landlord is a natural person AND has served the exemption notice. OR SB 611 applies to all residential units. NYC RSL applies only to 6+ unit pre-1974 buildings (plus 421-a). DC exempts owner-occupied 1–4 unit buildings and any building first occupied after Dec 31, 1975. LA RSO exempts detached SFRs and condos. Saint Paul exempts post-2004 buildings and owner-occupied 1–4 unit buildings. "SFR" does not automatically mean "exempt."
What happens when a state cap conflicts with a city's local override?
The tenant gets the stricter (lower) cap. Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12(b)(1)(B) explicitly carves out local ordinances that are stricter than AB 1482. In Los Angeles, LAMC §151 (3% / 2.8%) binds over AB 1482's 8.8% for RSO-covered units. OR SB 611 is statewide-only — Oregon cities are preempted from going stricter. NYC is the only RSL-covered part of New York State.