Rent increases in Inglewood: the local rules

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

What Inglewood's code says

Inglewood code What Inglewood's code adds
Annual increase limit	No more than 3% or the change in the cost of living, whichever is greater, in any 12-month period. Applies: Applies to properties with 5 or more rental units. § 8-127 · code text An owner of any residential real property containing five or more rental units shall not over the course of any twelve-month period increase the rent for a rental unit on such property by more than three percent or the percentage change in the cost of living, whichever is greater No more than 5% plus the change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower. Applies: Applies to properties with 4 or fewer rental units. § 8-127 · code text An owner of any residential real property containing four or fewer rental units shall not over the course of any twelve-month period increase the rent for a rental unit on such property by more than five percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, as defined in Section 8-127(e), or ten percent, whichever is lower Up to 10% of the lowest rent in the past 12 months per added tenant, beyond the regular increase. Applies: When a tenant joins, after 30 straight days there; not for the first minor child; not if owner knew over 60 days without giving notice. § 8-127 · code text the owner may increase the rent for a rental unit by an amount not to exceed ten percent of the lowest rent ˗ not including any pass-through registration fees or increases authorized under Section 8-129 ˗ charged for that rental unit at any time during the twelve months prior to the effective date of the rent increase, for each additional tenant that joins the occupants of the rental unit Up to 5% plus the change in the cost of living. Applies: Existing tenant pays under 80% of fair market rent for a comparable unit, in a property with 5 or more units, with program administrator approval. § 8-128 · code text the owner may increase the rent by up to five percent plus the percentage change in cost of living. Up to an additional 2%. Applies: Existing tenant pays under 80% of fair market rent for a comparable unit, in a property with 4 or fewer units, with program administrator approval. § 8-128 · code text the owner may increase the rent by up to an additional two percent. No more than $100 per month per rental unit. Applies: For a capital improvement increase approved by the Rental Housing Board. § 8-129 · code text exceed $100 per month per rental unit A capital improvement increase may last no more than 72 months. Applies: For a capital improvement increase approved by the Rental Housing Board. § 8-129 · code text be for more than seventy-two months
Floor or ceiling on the increase	The owner may not recover more than 50% of the capital improvement costs. Applies: For a capital improvement increase approved by the Rental Housing Board. § 8-129 · code text allow the owner to recover more than fifty percent of owner's capital improvement costs
Units covered	Properties with five or more rental units and properties with four or fewer (each has its own cap) Applies: except units the Board finds exempt under § 8-121(b), such as hotels, care facilities, school dormitories, qualifying owner-occupied or single-family homes given the exemption notice, and housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous fifteen years § 8-127 · code text An owner of any residential real property containing five or more rental units shall not over the course of any twelve-month period increase the rent for a rental unit on such property The caps do not limit the starting rent an owner sets for a new tenancy. Applies: For new tenancies. § 8-127 · code text This Article does not supersede an owner's right to set the initial rent for new tenancies under State law.
How often rent can go up	Rent may go up no more than once in any 12-month period. § 8-127 · code text An owner shall not increase the rent more than one time per twelve-month period Approved increases are for 12-month periods until rent reaches or exceeds 81% of fair market rent. Applies: Below-market increases approved by the program administrator, for properties of any size. § 8-128 · code text The program administrator shall only approve rent increases for twelve-month periods under this Section until the rent reaches or exceeds eighty-one percent of fair market rents.
Petitions and pass-throughs	The owner may apply to the Rental Housing Board to recover part of capital improvement costs; Board approval is required. Applies: When a capital improvement costs over $5,000 to a unit or over $10,000 to the property it is on. § 8-129 · code text an owner may, subject to approval by the Rental Housing Board, increase an existing tenant's rent for a rental unit to recover the owner's costs for a capital improvement The owner must file with the Rental Housing Board and give each affected tenant a copy within 5 days. Applies: For a capital improvement rent increase application. § 8-129 · code text The owner serves a copy of the application, within five days of filing with the Board, on each tenant whose rent would be increased if the application is approved. Registration fee pass-throughs and approved capital improvement increases are left out of the rent used to figure the regular cap. Applies: When figuring the lowest rent for the regular increase cap. § 8-127 · code text not including any pass-through registration fees or increases authorized under Section 8-129

The California rule underneath

Where Inglewood'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. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1), (g)
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. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1)
Number of rent increases	No more than two increases in any 12-month period Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(2)
Rent cap — new construction exemption	Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling) Applies: Mobilehomes excepted. Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(4)
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)). Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(5)
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 Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(6)
New tenancy resets the rent	When no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the initial rent; the cap applies to later increases Civ. Code § 1947.12(b)
Rent cap sunset	§ 1947.12 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended Civ. Code § 1947.12(o)

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

How much can rent go up in Inglewood?

City cap for properties with 5 or more units: no more than 3% or the cost-of-living change, whichever is greater, in any 12 months. City cap for properties with 4 or fewer units: no more than 5% plus the cost-of-living change, or 10%, whichever is lower.

Rent increases in Inglewood

Key points

What Inglewood's code says

The California rule underneath

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

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