// tenant placement · Berkeley

Tenant Placement and Leasing in Berkeley

1.0% Annual General Adjustment for 2026, effective Jan 1, 2026 (65% of CPI, 5% ceiling under Measure BB). Priced to the market, screened to a written standard, leased with the notices your city requires.

1.0%Annual General Adjustment, 2026
$397Registration fee per fully covered unit, due Jul 2
$2,597Median rent, Oct 2026

How this works in Berkeley

A vacancy costs more than the leasing fee. At Oakland's average rent of $2,323, every empty week is about $540 gone. We price the unit against what is actually renting nearby, list it with professional-quality photos you supply or we arrange, show it on a schedule that fits working applicants, and screen every file against the same written standard. The lease we sign carries the AB 1482 notices or the local ordinance notices the unit needs, so the first day of the tenancy does not become a problem on the last day.

Cap
1.0% Annual General Adjustment for 2026, effective Jan 1, 2026 (65% of CPI, 5% ceiling under Measure BB). Fully covered: most multifamily built before 1980 and single-family homes with tenancies that began before 1996. Partially covered (good cause and registration, no ceiling): post-1996 single-family and condo tenancies and newer construction.
Just cause
From day one of tenancy. Nonpayment eviction only when the debt is at least one month of fair market rent; lease-breach evictions need substantial, actual damage; every eviction notice is filed with the Rent Board within 3 business days.
Fees and filings
Registration FY 2026-27: $397 per fully covered unit, $244 per partially covered, due Jul 2, 2026, 100% penalty if late, nothing passable to the tenant. Business license $10.81 per $1,000 gross receipts under 5 units, $28.80 for 5 or more. Rental Housing Safety Program $60 per unit per year.

What is included

The full picture for owners is on the Berkeley page; the service on its own is described under tenant placement.

// questions

Tenant Placement in Berkeley: questions owners ask

How much can I raise rent in Berkeley this year?

1.0% on fully covered units, effective Jan 1, 2026. Partially covered units (post-1996 single-family and condo tenancies, newer construction) have no Berkeley ceiling; the state 8.8% cap applies unless the unit qualifies for the AB 1482 single-family exemption with the lease notice.

Do I have to register my single-family rental?

Yes. A house whose tenancy began before 1996 is fully covered and pays $397; a later tenancy is partially covered and pays $244. Both are due Jul 2, 2026, with a 100% late penalty, and both carry good cause from day one.

How long does it take to lease a unit?

It depends on the price and the season. In Lafayette, one flat-fee competitor reports 14 to 21 days to lease. A unit priced to recent comps in Oakland or Berkeley, listed with good photos and shown promptly, is usually in the same range. A unit priced above the market can sit for months.

Can I choose which applicant gets the unit?

You set the standard with us before the listing goes live: minimum income multiple, credit floor, reference requirements. Once it is set, the first applicant who meets it gets the unit. Choosing between qualified applicants on anything else is where fair-housing claims come from, and we will not do it.

What security deposit can I collect?

California caps security deposits at one month's rent (AB 12), whether the unit is furnished or not. In Berkeley the deposit also earns interest that must be paid to the tenant by Dec 31 each year; the 2025 rate was 0.9%.

What is the leasing fee and when is it earned?

Typically half of one month's rent, charged once the tenant has signed and paid. It covers pricing, listing, showings, screening, the lease and the move-in report. Nothing is owed if we do not place a tenant.

// start here

Free rental analysis, Berkeley

What your place should rent for, what the city will let you charge next year, and what we would do first. Written, within one business day.

// also

Also in Berkeley

// nearby

Next door to Berkeley, different rules

// next step

Start with the number.

A written rental analysis for your property, free, within one business day. No obligation and no sales call unless you ask for one.

Call (510) 390-9573 · Free rental analysis