// rent compliance · Oakland

Rent Ordinance Compliance in Oakland

2.3% for Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 (60% of CPI, 3% maximum); prior year 0.8%. The cap, the registry, the fee and the notice for your unit, each on its own calendar.

2.3%Allowable increase, Aug 2026 to Jul 2027
$137RAP fee per covered unit, delinquent after Mar 1
$2,323Median rent, Oct 2026

How this works in Oakland

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
2.3% for Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 (60% of CPI, 3% maximum); prior year 0.8%. Units with a certificate of occupancy before Jan 1, 1983, including ADUs and individually rented rooms. Single-family homes and condos are exempt from the cap but must register and follow Just Cause.
Just cause
Citywide, covering single-family homes once the building is 10 or more years old. An owner move-in requires the owner to move in within 3 months and stay 36 months; no owner move-in or repair evictions during the OUSD school year when a child or educator lives in the unit. Wrongful eviction is 3x damages plus fees.
Fees and filings
RAP fee $137 per covered unit per year, billed with the business tax, delinquent after Mar 1, 50% passable to the tenant if paid on time. Business tax $13.95 per $1,000 of gross rental income, due Mar 1. Rent Registry update due Mar 1.

What is included

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

// questions

Rent Compliance in Oakland: questions owners ask

How much can I raise rent in Oakland this year?

2.3% for notices effective Aug 1, 2026 to Jul 31, 2027 on covered units (certificate of occupancy before Jan 1, 1983). You can add banked increases up to 3 times the current allowable, about 6.9%, if the unit is registered and a current Business Tax Certificate is attached to the notice. Single-family homes and condos follow the state 8.8% cap instead, or are exempt if individually owned with the lease notice.

Do I have to register my single-family rental?

Yes. The Rent Registry covers every unit, including houses and condos exempt from the cap, and the update is due Mar 1 each year. You also need a Business Tax Certificate ($13.95 per $1,000 of gross rent) and, unless the unit is owner-occupied or under 10 years old, you pay the $137 RAP fee.

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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