// rent compliance · Hayward

Rent Ordinance Compliance in Hayward

5% once per 12 months on covered units, flat and not CPI-indexed (ordinance since Jul 25, 2019). State 8.8% elsewhere. The cap, the registry, the fee and the notice for your unit, each on its own calendar.

5%Local cap, pre-1979 multifamily
$66Rent review fee per covered unit
$3,850Median house rent, Oct 2026

How this works in Hayward

The state cap is 8.8% for Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027. That number matters in Walnut Creek, Fremont and El Cerrito. It does not matter in Oakland (2.3%), Berkeley (1.0%), Alameda (2.7%), Richmond (1.5%), Hayward (5%), Concord (5%) or Antioch, where a local cap sits underneath it, and from Jan 1, 2027 it stops mattering for most pre-1995 multifamily in San Leandro too. Each of those cities also runs a registry, an annual fee and a filing rule, and most set relocation payments owed when a tenancy ends without fault. We keep one calendar per property and act on it.

Cap
5% once per 12 months on covered units, flat and not CPI-indexed (ordinance since Jul 25, 2019). State 8.8% elsewhere. Properties of two or more units with a certificate of occupancy before Jul 1, 1979, about 9,500 units. Single-family homes, condos and owner-occupied properties with an ADU are exempt from the local cap but fall under the state 8.8% limit unless AB 1482 exempt.
Just cause
Nearly all units, including single-family homes and condos, with 15 permitted reasons. Anti-harassment and anti-retaliation rules apply to every unit.
Fees and filings
Rent review fee $66 per covered unit and $32 per other unit per year, half passable. Residential Rental Inspection Program $88 per property per year for 1 to 4 units, $22 per unit for 5 or more. Business license $3.75 per $1,000 of gross receipts, $60 minimum. No rent registry.

What is included

The full picture for owners is on the Hayward page; the service on its own is described under rent compliance.

// questions

Rent Compliance in Hayward: questions owners ask

How much can I raise rent in Hayward this year?

On a covered unit, two or more units built before Jul 1, 1979, the cap is 5% once in 12 months. Banked increases can take a single notice to 10% at most. On a single-family home or condo the state cap of 8.8% applies through Jul 31, 2027, unless the lease carries the AB 1482 exemption notice.

Does the cap apply to my single-family rental?

Hayward's 5% cap does not. Your house falls under the state 8.8% limit unless you own it as an individual and the lease carries the AB 1482 exemption notice. Hayward's just-cause rules and its anti-harassment rules do apply to your house.

My single-family home is exempt from rent control. Do I still have to register?

Often, yes. Oakland exempts single-family homes and condos from the cap but requires registration and follows just cause once the building is 10 or more years old. Berkeley requires registration and good cause for partially covered single-family tenancies at $244 per unit. Alameda, Richmond and Concord also register exempt units. Exempt from the cap is not exempt from the program.

How much can I raise the rent this year?

For Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 the state cap is 8.8%. Oakland is 2.3% on pre-1983 units, Berkeley 1.0% for calendar 2026, Alameda 2.7% from Sep 1, Richmond 1.5% from Sep 1, Hayward and Concord 5%, Antioch about 2% and recomputed with each CPI release. A unit exempt from both the state and local caps, such as an individually owned house with the exemption notice or a building under 15 years old, has no percentage limit, but an increase over 10% needs 90 days' notice.

What happens if I missed a registry deadline?

In Oakland an unregistered owner cannot raise rent, cannot file a petition, and non-registration is a defense to eviction. Berkeley doubles the fee. Richmond adds 10, 25 and 50% penalties and may lien the property. The fix is to register now, pay the penalty, and reset the calendar. We do that as part of onboarding.

What about San Leandro?

San Leandro adopted rent control on Feb 2, 2026, effective Jan 1, 2027: a cap of 3% or 65% of CPI, whichever is lower, on roughly 7,700 pre-1995 multifamily units, with base rent set at the rent in effect Jul 1, 2025. Increases taken since then may be rolled back. The new registry is about $149 per unit, and unregistered owners lose the right to raise rent or evict for the year. If you own there, the planning has to happen in 2026.

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