LA Rent Control (RSO) Explained: 2026 Tenant Guide

If you rent in the City of Los Angeles, the most important question about your apartment may be one you’ve never asked: is it covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO)? The RSO is the city’s rent control law. It limits how much your rent can go up each year and restricts the reasons a landlord can evict you. This guide explains how it works for tenants, using the official rules from the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD).

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so always check the LAHD links below or call the LAHD hotline at 866-557-7368 for your specific situation.

Which apartments are covered?

As a general rule, the RSO covers rental units in the City of Los Angeles built on or before October 1, 1978. That’s a large share of the city’s apartments, especially in older neighborhoods like Koreatown, Hollywood, Westlake, Palms and much of the Valley. There are exemptions, including most newer buildings, many single-family homes and some government-subsidized units.

How to check your unit: LAHD tells renters to look up the address on ZIMAS, the city’s property information map. Enter your address, open the “Housing” tab, and it shows whether the property is subject to the RSO.

The RSO applies only inside LA city limits. Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Pasadena, Beverly Hills, Culver City and unincorporated LA County have their own rules. Other California units may fall under the statewide cap in the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482).

How much can my rent go up?

According to LAHD, the allowable annual increase for RSO units is 3% for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the same as the year before. The key rules:

Rent can go up only once every 12 months.
State law requires 30 days’ written notice for increases of less than 10%.
Starting February 2, 2026, the City Council changed the formula. The yearly increase is now set at 90% of average inflation (CPI), with a floor of 1% and a ceiling of 4%. The old range was 3% to 8%.
Starting February 2, 2026, landlords can no longer add an extra percentage to the yearly increase for utilities. They also can’t raise rent when a dependent joins your household. A 10% increase is still allowed for each additional tenant who isn’t a dependent.

For context, LAHD’s historical bulletin shows the allowable increase was 0% from March 30, 2020 to January 31, 2024 (the pandemic freeze), and 4% for most of 2024 and into 2025. LAHD also has an RSO rent increase calculator.

What about when I move in?

This catches many people off guard. Under the RSO, a landlord can generally reset the rent to market rate when a unit becomes vacant, for example when the previous tenant moves out voluntarily. LAHD’s RSO overview lists the situations where this is allowed. So a rent-stabilized apartment isn’t necessarily cheaper on day one. The protection is in what happens afterward. A 3% cap year after year can add up to big savings compared with an unregulated unit.

Eviction protections

RSO tenants can generally be evicted only for reasons the ordinance allows. “At-fault” reasons include non-payment of rent or a serious lease violation. “No-fault” reasons include the owner moving in or removing the unit from the rental market under the Ellis Act. Most no-fault evictions require the landlord to pay relocation assistance, and LAHD publishes the current amounts. The City of LA has also extended just-cause protections to many non-RSO units. Check housing.lacity.gov for the current rules.

Fees and deposits

Security deposits: statewide, AB 12 limits most deposits to one month’s rent, starting July 1, 2024. Small landlords who own no more than two properties with four units total may charge two months. Pet and cleaning deposits count toward the limit, according to the LA County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs.
RSO deposit increases: LAHD’s bulletin allows the security deposit to rise by the same percentage as the annual rent increase, at the same time.
Registration surcharge: landlords pay a yearly RSO registration fee and may pass part of it to tenants as a small monthly surcharge, under LAHD rules.

What to do if you think your increase is illegal

Check the unit’s RSO status on ZIMAS.
Compare the increase with the current allowable percentage and the date of your last increase.
Contact LAHD at 866-557-7368, or file a complaint through the LAHD website.
Keep copies of every notice, your lease and proof of rent payments.

Our tenant rights basics and lease clauses to understand guides cover the rest of your lease. When you renew, see how to negotiate rent at renewal.

Finding an RSO apartment

Since the RSO mostly covers pre-1978 buildings, focus on older stock. Our rent-data series shows that many of LA’s most affordable ZIPs, like Westlake, Koreatown and Pico-Union and much of the Valley, are full of exactly these buildings. Ask the landlord directly whether the unit is RSO, then confirm on ZIMAS.

RSO vs. AB 1482 vs. LA’s Just Cause Ordinance

Los Angeles renters can be covered by three overlapping layers of protection, and it helps to know which one applies to you before you read any notice from your landlord.

The RSO (city rent control)

The strongest layer. It applies to most rental units in the City of Los Angeles built on or before October 1, 1978. It caps yearly increases at the percentage LAHD announces, requires landlords to register units with the city, and limits evictions to the reasons listed in the ordinance.

The Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482)

This is the statewide law, found in California Civil Code sections 1946.2 and 1947.12. It caps yearly increases for many units that are not under local rent control, at 5% plus the regional change in the cost of living, with a hard maximum of 10%. It also requires “just cause” for evictions once a tenant has lived in the unit for 12 months. Common exemptions include buildings issued a certificate of occupancy within the last 15 years and many single-family homes and condos owned by individuals, when the landlord gives the required written exemption notice. The California Attorney General’s Tenant Protection Act page summarizes the rules.

LA’s Just Cause Ordinance (JCO)

The City of Los Angeles extended just-cause eviction protections to many units that are not covered by the RSO. In general, the JCO applies after a tenant has lived in a unit for six months or after the first lease term ends, whichever comes first. It does not cap rent the way the RSO does, but it limits the reasons a landlord can end a tenancy and requires relocation assistance for no-fault evictions. LAHD’s website has the current JCO details.

Relocation assistance in plain terms

When an RSO landlord ends a tenancy for a no-fault reason, such as an owner move-in, a substantial remodel that requires the unit to be empty, or withdrawing the building from the rental market under the state Ellis Act, the landlord generally must pay relocation assistance. The amount depends on how long you’ve lived there and whether your household includes a senior, a person with a disability, or a minor child, and whether you qualify as low income. LAHD updates the amounts every year, so don’t rely on a figure from a friend or an old article. Look up the current schedule on the LAHD site and ask the landlord to show how they calculated your payment.

Ellis Act withdrawals

The Ellis Act is a state law that lets owners stop renting a building entirely. In Los Angeles, owners who use it have to file paperwork with LAHD, give tenants extended notice in some cases, and pay relocation. If the units come back onto the rental market within certain time limits, former tenants may have a right to return. If you get an Ellis Act notice, contact LAHD and a tenant attorney right away.

Cash-for-keys buyout offers

Some landlords offer RSO tenants money to move out voluntarily. That’s legal, but the City of LA regulates these offers. Before making an offer, landlords must give tenants a written disclosure explaining their rights, including that they can refuse the offer and that they can talk to a lawyer first. Signed buyout agreements must also be filed with LAHD, and tenants get a window of time to change their mind. Before you sign anything:

Find out what relocation assistance you’d be owed if the landlord evicted you for a no-fault reason. A buyout offer below that number is a weak offer.
Compare the offer with what you’d pay at market rent for a similar apartment. Moving from a long-held RSO unit can mean a big jump in monthly rent.
Never feel pressured to decide on the spot. Get the offer in writing.

Harassment and reduced services

LA’s Tenant Anti-Harassment Ordinance prohibits landlords from using bad-faith tactics to push tenants out. Examples include repeatedly cutting off utilities, refusing to make needed repairs, making false threats about immigration status, or entering the unit without proper notice. Under California Civil Code section 1954, landlords generally must give reasonable written notice before entering, and 24 hours is presumed reasonable.

Under the RSO, the services that came with your tenancy, like parking, storage, a laundry room or included utilities, are part of what your rent pays for. If a landlord takes one away, the tenant may be entitled to a rent reduction. LAHD handles these complaints.

Repairs and habitability

Rent control doesn’t mean you have to accept a run-down unit. Every California rental must meet basic habitability standards under Civil Code section 1941.1, including working plumbing, heat, hot water, electricity and weatherproofing. In Los Angeles, the city’s Systematic Code Enforcement Program (SCEP) inspects rental buildings, and tenants can request an inspection from LAHD. Report problems in writing, keep copies, and take dated photos.

A quick checklist for new RSO tenants

Look up your building on ZIMAS and save a screenshot showing RSO status.
Keep your lease, move-in photos and every rent receipt in one folder.
Write down the date and amount of every rent increase.
Read every notice carefully and check it against current LAHD rules.
Get renters insurance. Our renters insurance guide explains what it covers.
Know where to get help: the LAHD hotline and the city’s Stay Housed L.A. program.

FAQ

Does the RSO apply to my condo or single-family house?

Usually not. Most single-family homes and condos are exempt from the RSO, though there are exceptions, for example when more than one unit is on the lot. These homes may still fall under the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) or LA’s just-cause rules. Check the address on ZIMAS and ask LAHD if you’re unsure.

Can my landlord raise the rent more than 3% if they did repairs?

RSO landlords can apply to LAHD for certain approved increases, such as capital improvement pass-throughs, under the ordinance’s procedures. These must be approved by the city. The landlord can’t just add them on their own. If a notice cites repairs, ask for the LAHD approval paperwork.

My building was built in 1985. Am I protected?

Not by the RSO. A building finished after October 1, 1978 generally isn’t covered. But AB 1482 may cap your increases if the building is more than 15 years old and not otherwise exempt. The cap is 5% plus local CPI, with a maximum of 10%. Ask your landlord for the AB 1482 exemption notice, which state law requires them to disclose.

Where can I get free help?

LAHD runs a hotline (866-557-7368) and public counters. The city’s Stay Housed L.A. program connects tenants with legal help and workshops.

Does the RSO cover garage or parking fees?

Housing services included with the tenancy, like parking, are part of the regulated rent under the RSO. A landlord generally can’t cut those services without a matching rent reduction. LAHD can review complaints about reduced services.