How Much Can I Raise Rent in Inglewood in 2026? It Depends on Your Unit Count

Published July 15, 2026

Inglewood caps rent at 3.7% for 5+ unit buildings, but up to 10% for duplexes and fourplexes.

Inglewood rent caps are not one number. Buildings with five or more units are capped at the greater of 3% or the local CPI, which works out to 3.7% under the CPI figure the city published on May 12, 2026. Properties with four or fewer units, including duplexes and fourplexes, are capped at 5% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower, so the practical ceiling right now is 8.7%. Under Inglewood Municipal Code section 8-127, owners must use the correct tier for their property or risk an invalid increase.

Two Ordinances, One City

Inglewood adopted its Residential Rent Regulations in 2019, and the city has amended them since to widen coverage and clarify the annual math. The ordinance is now codified at IMC section 8-127 and does something a lot of owners in the South Bay do not expect: it treats small properties and large properties differently. That surprises people who are used to statewide AB 1482, which uses a flat 5% plus CPI, capped at 10%, for everything it covers.

The 5-or-more-unit tier

For buildings with five or more units, IMC 8-127 sets the annual allowable increase at the greater of 3% or the change in the Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim area, with a fresh figure published each May. The figure the city published on May 12, 2026 is 3.7%, so the maximum allowable increase for larger buildings under the current posting is 3.7%, not the 3% floor. The city updates this figure every year, so an increase that was compliant last year is not automatically compliant this year, and you should read the current number off the city's Allowable Rent Increases page before serving any notice.

The 4-or-fewer-unit tier

Smaller properties, meaning duplexes, triplexes, and fourplexes, get a more generous formula: 5% plus CPI, capped at a hard ceiling of 10%. With the 3.7% CPI figure in place, that math works out to 8.7% for small properties this cycle, well above what an owner of a 5+ unit building can charge. The city also allows an additional adjustment of up to 5% for units renting below 80% of Fair Market Rent, subject to approval by the city's housing protection staff, and since January 1, 2026 the city measures that threshold against HUD's zip code level Small Area Fair Market Rents. The 10% hard cap still applies on top of everything.

Why the unit count matters this much

A lot of small landlords assume rent control in Inglewood is a single flat rule. It is not. If you own a fourplex and use the 5+ unit formula by mistake, you are leaving money on the table. If you own a 12-unit building and use the small-property formula, you are issuing an increase that is not enforceable and could expose you to a tenant petition or a rent board dispute. Getting the unit count and the corresponding percentage right, every single year when the city republishes the CPI figure in May, is the whole ballgame.

Notice requirements still apply

California state law layers on top of the local ordinance. Under Civil Code section 827, any rent increase of more than 10% in a 12-month period requires 90 days' written notice; increases at or below 10% require 30 days. Inglewood's local caps keep most increases under the 10% threshold, but owners still need to serve proper written notice and keep records of the CPI figure they relied on.

What This Means for You

If you own property in Inglewood, do not use a single percentage across your whole portfolio. Check the current published CPI figure each May, confirm your unit count, and apply the correct tier before you send a rent increase notice. A miscalculated increase can be challenged and rolled back, which costs you far more than the difference in percentage points.

If you would rather not track city ordinance updates every spring, that is exactly what we handle for owners across the South Bay.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with a licensed professional before you act.

Sources

1. City of Inglewood, Allowable Rent Increases
2. City of Inglewood Municipal Code, Article 10: Residential Rent Regulations (IMC 8-127)
3. Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, Inglewood Adopts Major Changes to the City's Rent Control Ordinance
4. LAist, How much can my rent go up right now? LA rent hike cheat sheet
5. California Civil Code section 827, California Legislative Information

Last verified: July 2026.

Topics: compliance, inglewood, rent control, rent increase, landlord tenant law

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