California · Cal. Civ. Code §§827, 1013, 1162 · §1947.12 · local overlays

Notice of rent increase template — California A statute-compliant template covers Cal. Civ. Code §827(b) plus AB 1482 §1947.12 plus the local disclosures for LA RSO, SF, Oakland, Berkeley, and Santa Monica. Generate the PDF in one click — free, no signup for the first notice.

California's notice-of-rent-increase requirements are not in one statute. They live in §827 of the Civil Code, §1947.12 (AB 1482), the local rent-control ordinance for the unit's city, and (for service method) §1013 and §1162. A template that hits all four — for the operative jurisdiction — is the difference between an enforceable notice and a void one.

Generate the right notice

Pick your unit's jurisdiction. The generator outputs a printable PDF with all required statutory content for that jurisdiction:

Other California cities (Oakland, Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, El Monte, Bell Gardens, Inglewood, Culver City, Pasadena) — generate the AB 1482 California notice and add the local disclosures from your city's housing department bulletin. RentCeiling is adding more local generators on the same monthly cadence as the open rule-set.

Required content checklist (statewide floor)

The §827(b) statewide content floor — every California rent-increase notice for a month-to-month tenancy must include:

Tenant's full legal name(s).
The unit address (with apartment / unit number if applicable).
The current monthly rent in dollars.
The new monthly rent in dollars.
The dollar amount of the increase.
The percentage increase calculated against current rent.
The effective date the new rent takes effect.
The landlord's printed name and signature.
The date the notice is signed/served.
The method of service (personal, substituted, mail).

AB 1482 additions

For units covered by AB 1482 (most non-Costa-Hawkins-exempt units occupied 15+ years post first-certificate-of-occupancy), the notice must additionally include:

A statement that the increase complies with Cal. Civ. Code §1947.12.
The applicable percentage cap for the jurisdiction (8.8% statewide for 2026).
The actual increase as a percentage, demonstrating it does not exceed the cap.

If your unit is exempt from AB 1482 (single-family with §1947.12(d)(5) exemption notice served, building under 15 years from initial certificate of occupancy, deed-restricted affordable, dormitory, or hotel under 30-day stays), no AB 1482 statement is required — but the §827(b) content floor still applies and the §1947.12(d)(5) notice posture must be defensible if challenged.

Local-ordinance additions

Layer on top of the §827(b) + §1947.12 content:

LA RSO (LAMC §151.06.01): include the LAHD registration number for the unit, a statement the unit is RSO-covered, and the operative LAMC §151.06 cap (3.0% through June 30, 2026; ~2.8% projected from July 1, 2026 onward).
San Francisco (S.F. Admin. Code Ch. 37 §37.3 + SF Rent Board Rules §4.12): include the SF Rent Board contact (415-252-4602), a statement the unit is rent-controlled, and — if any portion of the increase is banked — a separate itemization of the AGA portion (1.6%) and the banked portion with its accumulation date.
Berkeley (BMC §13.76.080(F)): separate itemization of the AGA portion (1.0% for 2026) and any accumulated portion under §13.76.110, with the year-by-year derivation.
Oakland (OMC §8.22.070): reference the Oakland Rent Adjustment Program AGA bulletin for the relevant rent year, plus the program contact.

Service method matters as much as content

A perfectly-drafted notice that's served wrong is just as void as a defective notice. Cal. Civ. Code §1162 prescribes three lawful methods: personal delivery to the tenant, substituted service on a person of suitable age at the dwelling AND mailing a copy, or first- class mail to the dwelling. §1013 adds 5 calendar days to the notice period for service by mail. The 90-day notice explainer covers the 30/90 split and the cumulative-trigger trap.

What to never skip

The percentage. Many landlords write only the new rent, omitting the percentage and dollar increase. Both are required by §827(b).
The effective date. Must be at least 30 (or 90) days from service date, with mailing-add if applicable. Vague phrasing ("starting next month") is insufficient.
The signature. An unsigned notice is unenforceable.
The local disclosures. Especially the LAHD registration number for LA RSO and the banking itemization for SF and Berkeley. These are the most common defects observed in tenant-dispute defense.

How RentCeiling enforces this for you

RentCeiling's notice generator takes (jurisdiction, current rent, last-increase date, last-increase amount, proposed new rent, service date, method of service) and produces a PDF with every required content element for that jurisdiction. Landlords who use the generator and the free California calculator together get the cap math and the notice content from a single source of truth, with the open rule-set as the authoritative input. Pricing for routine use is at /pricing.

Generate the California notice (free)

Common questions

What does a California rent-increase notice need to contain?

Cal. Civ. Code §827(b) requires written notice with: tenant name, unit address, current rent, new rent, dollar increase, percentage increase, effective date, landlord signature, date of service, and method of service. AB 1482 §1947.12 adds a compliance statement for the percentage cap. Local ordinances (LA RSO §151.06.01, SF Admin. Code Ch. 37 §37.3, BMC §13.76.080(F)) add jurisdiction-specific disclosures.

Is a free template enough or do I need a lawyer?

A statute-compliant template is enough for the routine case — current rent, lawful percentage under the operative cap, no banking, no exemption dispute, single jurisdiction. Edge cases (banked-portion stacked across an ownership change, single-family exemption notice posture under §1947.12(d)(5), Costa-Hawkins reset on a partial vacancy, just-cause linkage on a 10%+ notice) merit attorney review. The free template removes the routine 80%; lawyers handle the 20% that's actually contested.

Can I email the notice or does it have to be printed and mailed?

Cal. Civ. Code §827(a) requires written notice served per Cal. Civ. Code §1162 — personal delivery to the tenant, substituted service on a person of suitable age at the dwelling, or first-class mail. Email-only is not §827-compliant unless the lease expressly authorizes electronic service AND the tenant has separately consented to electronic service of legal notices. Even then, most landlord-tenant practitioners recommend serving on paper as the backup-of-record.

What's the minimum notice period for a 5% increase in California in 2026?

30 days under Cal. Civ. Code §827(b)(1), since 5% is under the 10% threshold that triggers the 90-day rule. Add 5 days for service by mail under Cal. Civ. Code §1013, so a 5% notice mailed becomes a 35-day notice for effective-date math. If the unit had a prior increase in the last 12 months that pushes cumulative over 10%, the 90-day rule applies to this notice instead — see the cumulative-trigger explainer.

Does the notice need a copy of the lease or any attachments?

No statute requires lease-attachment. Some jurisdictions (LA RSO LAMC §151.05 and §151.06.01) require the notice itself to identify the LAHD registration number; SF requires Rent Board contact information per Ch. 37 §37.3. None requires the lease to be physically attached. The notice is a standalone document.