How much can rent go up in San Francisco?

City rule: occupied Rent Ordinance units may rise once a year, by up to 60% of the CPI increase, never more than 7%. City rule: units first certified for occupancy after June 13, 1979, and single-family homes and condos are generally exempt from the city's limits.

Rent increases in San Francisco: the local rules

San Francisco code What San Francisco's code adds
Annual increase limit	60% of the published CPI increase Applies: Applies only to 'rental units' under the Rent Ordinance (Admin Code Chapter 37), for tenants in occupancy; units that first received a certificate of occupancy after June 13, 1979 (§ 37.3(g)) and separately alienable units such as single-family homes and condominiums (§ 37.3(d), Costa-Hawkins) are generally exempt from the rent increase limits; the landlord must have reported the unit's information to the Rent Board under § 37.15; based on the CPI increase the Board publishes each March 1 § 37.3 · code text A landlord who has reported the required information about their rental unit to the Rent Board as set forth in Section 37.15 shall have a license to impose annually a rent increase which does not exceed a tenant’s base rent by more than 60% of said published increase. The yearly increase can never be more than 7%. Applies: Rent Ordinance units, tenants in occupancy; units certified for occupancy after June 13, 1979 and separately sellable units like single-family homes and condos generally exempt. § 37.3 · code text In no event, however, shall the allowable annual increase be greater than 7%.
How often rent can go up	Once a year. Applies: Rent Ordinance units, tenants in occupancy; units certified for occupancy after June 13, 1979 and separately sellable units like single-family homes and condos generally exempt. § 37.3 · code text A landlord who has reported the required information about their rental unit to the Rent Board as set forth in Section 37.15 shall have a license to impose annually a rent increase which does not exceed a tenant’s base rent by more than 60% of said published increase.
Petitions and pass-throughs	Capital-improvement increases may be imposed if the costs are certified under Sections 37.7 and 37.8B. Applies: Rent Ordinance units, tenants in occupancy; units certified for occupancy after June 13, 1979 and separately sellable units like single-family homes and condos generally exempt. § 37.3 · code text A landlord may impose rent increases based upon the cost of capital improvements, rehabilitation, energy conservation improvements, or renewable energy improvements, provided that such costs are certified pursuant to Sections 37.7 and 37.8B below 10% of the tenant’s base rent in any 12-month period; excess certified increases may be accumulated and imposed in subsequent years subject to the 10% limitation Applies: Applies only to 'rental units' under the Rent Ordinance (Admin Code Chapter 37), for tenants in occupancy; units that first received a certificate of occupancy after June 13, 1979 (§ 37.3(g)) and separately alienable units such as single-family homes and condominiums (§ 37.3(d), Costa-Hawkins) are generally exempt from the rent increase limits; only 'where a landlord has performed seismic strengthening in accordance with Existing Building Code Chapters 5B and 5C', subject to Board rules to prevent landlord hardship § 37.3 · code text no increase for capital improvements (including but not limited to seismic strengthening) shall exceed, in any 12 month period, 10 percent of the tenant’s base rent, subject to rules adopted by the Board to prevent landlord hardship 50% of excess use charges Applies: Applies only to 'rental units' under the Rent Ordinance (Admin Code Chapter 37), for tenants in occupancy; units that first received a certificate of occupancy after June 13, 1979 (§ 37.3(g)) and separately alienable units such as single-family homes and condominiums (§ 37.3(d), Costa-Hawkins) are generally exempt from the rent increase limits; landlord must certify water-saving devices and no known leaks and give tenants the water bill; only penalties for service periods beginning after April 20, 1991; charges do not become part of base rent § 37.3 · code text A landlord may impose increases not to exceed 50 percent of the excess use charges (penalties) levied by the San Francisco Water Department on a building for use of water in excess of Water Department allocations under the following conditions: 50% of water bill charges attributable to specified water rate increases Applies: Applies only to 'rental units' under the Rent Ordinance (Admin Code Chapter 37), for tenants in occupancy; units that first received a certificate of occupancy after June 13, 1979 (§ 37.3(g)) and separately alienable units such as single-family homes and condominiums (§ 37.3(d), Costa-Hawkins) are generally exempt from the rent increase limits; water rate increases from Water System Improvement Revenue Bonds authorized at the November 2002 election (Proposition A); unit must comply with water-conservation-device laws; passthrough is not part of base rent § 37.3 · code text A landlord may pass through fifty percent (50%) of the water bill charges attributable to water rate increases resulting from issuance of Water System Improvement Revenue Bonds authorized at the November 2002 election (Proposition A), to any unit that is in compliance with any applicable laws requiring water conservation devices. The landlord does not need to file a petition with the Rent Board. Applies: Applies to the 50% water bond passthrough. § 37.3 · code text The landlord is not required to file a petition with the Board for approval of such a cost passthrough. A tenant may apply for hardship relief from all or part of the passthrough. Applies: Applies to the 50% water bond passthrough. § 37.3 · code text A tenant may file a hardship application with the Board, and be granted relief from all or part of such a cost passthrough.

Where San Francisco'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	8.8% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.8% inflation) Applies: Covered units only. Inflation is the BLS consumer price index for the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward 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)

Rent increases in San Francisco

Key points

What San Francisco's code says

The California rule underneath

Who this affects

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