Skip to content

Gardena · Renting & eviction

Rent increases in Gardena

City rule: tenants may petition for mediation within 10 business days after a rent-increase notice is served; mobile home owners get 25. State law: the cap for covered units is 8.7% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.

Key points

  • Rent mediation: City rule: tenants may petition for mediation within 10 business days after a rent-increase notice is served; mobile home owners get 25.
  • State rent cap: State law: the cap for covered units is 8.7% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.

Each rule below links to the section of the Gardena Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Gardena's code says

Gardena code What Gardena's code adds
Units covered
  • Units facing a rent increase, including mobile homes in parks, can use the rent mediation and hearing process.
    § 14.04.100 · code text
    If, within twenty-five business days after the receipt of a notice of an increase in rent to a mobile home homeowner in a mobile home park, or within ten business days after the receipt of a notice of an increase in rent to any other tenant, a petition for mediation is filed by a tenant of a dwelling unit subject to the rental increase, then a mediation hearing shall be set within thirty days after such filing.
Petitions and pass-throughs
  • Tenants may petition for mediation within 10 business days after notice is served; mobile home owners get 25.
    Applies: Increases over 5% of the prior 12 months' rent must include notice of this right; mobile home owners: none if under half the CPI increase.
    § 14.04.090 · code text
    Notice of any rent increase exceeding five percent of the rent charged during the twelve months prior to the effective date of the increase shall include a notice to the tenant, including a mobile home homeowner, of the right to mediation/hearing and that the tenant has ten business days following service of the notice, or twenty-five business days for a mobile home homeowner, to file a mediation petition in order to exercise the tenant's rights under this chapter.
  • A mediation hearing is set within 30 days after a timely petition.
    Applies: A timely mediation petition is filed after a rent-increase notice.
    § 14.04.100 · code text
    then a mediation hearing shall be set within thirty days after such filing.
  • The increase takes effect on the date in the owner's notice.
    Applies: The tenant does not request mediation or a hearing on time.
    § 14.04.210 · code text
    Failure of the tenant to file a request for mediation or a hearing in a timely manner as provided in this chapter shall result in the imposition of the rent increase on the effective date specified in the owner's notice of such increase.

The California rule underneath

Where Gardena's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see California's statewide rent cap.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Rent cap right now
8.7% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.7% inflation)
Applies: Covered units only. Inflation is the BLS consumer price index for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, April to April, as the statute requires; the figure is recomputed every year.
Statewide rent increase cap (AB 1482)
5% plus the change in cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower, over any 12 months
Applies: Covered units only; measured against the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months.
Number of rent increases
No more than two increases in any 12-month period
Rent cap — new construction exemption
Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling)
Applies: Mobilehomes excepted.
Rent cap — single-family home or condo exemption
A home or condo that can be sold on its own is exempt when the owner is not a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant was given the written exemption notice
Applies: The same exemption applies to the just-cause rule (§ 1946.2(e)(8)).
Rent cap — owner-occupied duplex exemption
A duplex in one building is exempt when the owner lived in the other unit at the start of the tenancy and still does, unless either unit is an ADU or JADU
New tenancy resets the rent
When no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the initial rent; the cap applies to later increases
Rent cap sunset
§ 1947.12 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

How much can rent go up in Gardena?

City rule: tenants may petition for mediation within 10 business days after a rent-increase notice is served; mobile home owners get 25. State law: the cap for covered units is 8.7% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.

General information, not legal advice.

Ask about a specific Gardena property

Ask GoCodebook how Gardena's rent increases rules apply to your situation and get an answer that cites the section.

Ask your question

More on renting & eviction in Gardena