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Published July 15, 2026
From July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, LA County caps covered rent increases at 1.919%, or up to 2.919% for qualifying small landlords.
For rental units covered by LA County's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance, the maximum annual rent increase from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 is 1.919%. Small property landlords who self certify can add an extra 1 percentage point, up to a 2.919% ceiling, and qualifying luxury units cap out at 3.919%. Where the county ordinance applies, it controls over the higher statewide AB 1482 cap.
The county's Rent Stabilization and Tenant Protections Ordinance, administered by the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs, applies to residential rental units in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, meaning areas that are not inside an incorporated city like El Segundo, Hawthorne, or Torrance. If you own a rental inside one of those cities, RSTPO generally does not apply directly. But it is the model many South Bay owners run into when they hold a property in an unincorporated pocket near an incorporated city, and it is worth understanding because it is stricter than the state law that would otherwise apply.
RSTPO ties its annual increase to 60% of the percentage change in the regional Consumer Price Index over the twelve months ending each September, with a hard ceiling of 3% for the base case. For the period running July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs published the resulting base cap at 1.919% in its official Rent Increase Bulletin. That is meaningfully below the 3% ceiling and well below the statewide AB 1482 cap, which lands around 8.7% for the Los Angeles metro area over a similar period because AB 1482 uses a different formula, 5% plus the full regional CPI, capped at 10%.
Under LA County Code chapter 8.52, owners who qualify and self certify as small property landlords can add one additional percentage point on top of the base cap, bringing their ceiling to 2.919% for this cycle. This provision exists because the county recognized that owners of a small number of units do not have the same economies of scale as large portfolio landlords, and a sub 2% increase can fail to keep pace with rising insurance, property tax, and maintenance costs on a single property. Self certification has real conditions attached, generally tied to how many total rental units the owner holds, and the county can request documentation, so this is not something to claim without confirming eligibility first.
Qualifying luxury units, a separate and narrower category, cap out at 3.919% for the same period.
When a unit is subject to a local rent control ordinance that is more restrictive than AB 1482, the stricter local rule controls, not the state cap. AB 1482 sets a statewide floor of tenant protections; it does not preempt a city or county ordinance that goes further. So for an owner with a rental in unincorporated LA County, the 1.919% RSTPO cap governs the actual rent increase, even though AB 1482 would technically permit something closer to 8.7% in the same market. Applying the wrong number, the higher AB 1482 figure instead of the county's, is one of the more common and costly mistakes we see on properties near county pockets, since it exposes the owner to a rent overcharge claim from the tenant.
Before you send a rent increase notice on any South Bay property, confirm two things: whether the address sits in an incorporated city or unincorporated county territory, and which ordinance actually governs that unit. If it is unincorporated LA County and RSTPO covered, use the 1.919% base cap, or 2.919% only if you have genuinely confirmed small landlord eligibility under chapter 8.52. Do not assume the statewide AB 1482 percentage applies just because it is the number most articles quote.
If you would rather not track which ordinance applies to which parcel every cycle, that is one of the things we handle for our owners.
This is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm with a licensed professional before you act.
Last verified: July 2026.
Topics: compliance, LA County, rent increase cap, RSTPO, small landlord
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Schofield Properties is a family run property management company at 323 Richmond St, El Segundo, CA 90245. We have managed the South Bay since 1972 and personally oversee about 186 doors today. Book a call to talk about your property.
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