Why this matters
San Diegans and residents across California are grappling with a worsening housing and homelessness crisis.
Inflation slowed down earlier this year in San Diego County, and that means local property owners won’t be able to set rents as high.
Starting this Saturday, the new cap on rent increases for the San Diego region is 8.2% — a drop from last year’s limit of 8.8%. The change comes from a cost-of-living adjustment set by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The new cap is the lowest it’s been in years. In prior years, it had been 8.6% and 10%.
The California Tenant Protection Act, passed in 2019, limits how much housing providers can raise the rent in a 12-month period. It set a 10% maximum cap — or 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living, whichever is lower.
The cap varies in each county, and some cities have laws that restrict rent increases even further.
How to calculate a rent increase
Take the new rent and subtract the old rent from it. Then, divide that number by the old rent. In the example below, a tenant received notice rent was increasing from $2,150 to $2,300.
$2,300 – $2,150 = $150 / $2,150 = 0.069 or a 7% increase
Every year, that calculation is determined in March and the change takes effect in August.
The new 8.2% cap will remain in effect in San Diego County until the next adjustment in August 2027.
The rent cap applies to most rental housing in California that is older than 15 years, including single-family homes and condos owned by corporations and mobile homes rented from a mobile home park’s management.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-authored the 2019 tenant protections, says housing rented by Section 8 voucher holders is also included. A previous inewsource investigation revealed several public housing agencies across the county and state were not following state law.
Rental housing providers who want to increase the rent generally must provide tenants a 30-day notice. That timeline jumps to 90 days for rent increases above 10% on limited properties as allowed by law. Notices must be in writing, delivered to the tenant personally, put on the door or sent in the mail.
For tips on how to spot an illegal rent increase, read inewsource’s guide.
see our previous investigation
Type of Content
News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
