How much can my landlord raise the rent in San Diego in 2026–27?
If your unit is covered by California's rent cap (AB 1482), the most your rent can rise over 12 months is 8.2% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 — 5% plus San Diego's 3.2% inflation rate; newer buildings and many individually owned houses and condos are exempt.
- Cap, Aug 2026 – Jul 2027
- 8.2%
- Formula
- 5% + CPI, max 10%
- San Diego CPI (Mar 2026)
- +3.2%
- 1BR Fair Market Rent (FY2026)
- $2,459/mo
The short version
- AB 1482 (the Tenant Protection Act) caps yearly increases at 5% plus regional inflation, never more than 10%.
- San Diego's CPI rose 3.2% in the 12 months to March 2026 (BLS), so the cap is 8.2% for Aug 1, 2026 – Jul 31, 2027 — down from 8.8% the year before.
- Buildings with a certificate of occupancy from the last 15 years are exempt, as are single-family homes and condos not owned by a corporation or REIT (with proper notice in the lease).
- The September 21, 2026 El Niño emergency did NOT trigger the usual 10% price-gouging rent limit — the Governor explicitly suspended it "at this time."
- HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a San Diego one-bedroom is $2,459 a month, including utilities.
San Diego doesn't have citywide rent control, but most renters are covered by the state's Tenant Protection Act, AB 1482. It limits how much rent can go up in any 12-month period, and the limit resets every August 1 using San Diego's inflation rate. Here's the number for this year, and how to tell whether it applies to you.
5%
Fixed part of the cap
+3.2%
San Diego CPI, 12 months to March 2026 (BLS)
= 8.2%
Maximum 12-month increase, Aug 1, 2026 – Jul 31, 2027
How San Diego's cap has moved
Cap = 5% + San Diego-Carlsbad CPI-U, 12 months ending March (BLS releases of April 10, 2025 and April 10, 2026). Never more than 10%.
Is your place covered?
Covered by AB 1482 vs. exempt
| Usually covered | Usually exempt | |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments | Buildings older than 15 years | — |
| Houses and condos | Owned by a corporation or REIT | Owned by individuals, with the required exemption notice in the lease |
| Also protects | Just-cause eviction rules after 12 months of tenancy | — |
| New construction | — | Certificate of occupancy within the last 15 years (rolling) |
| Other | — | Deed-restricted affordable and subsidized housing (their own rules apply) |
| Verdict | — | Check your lease for an exemption notice |
What rent actually costs here
HUD Fair Market Rent, San Diego County, FY2026
Source: HUD FY2026 Fair Market Rents as published by the Housing Authority of the County of San Diego (effective Jan 1, 2026)
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of the 40th-percentile gross rent — rent plus utilities — for standard-quality units, so it runs below many asking rents for new or coastal apartments. HUD's FY2027 figures took effect October 1, 2026; a national tracker lists San Diego among the large metros whose FMR came down this year. We'll swap in the FY2027 numbers once we've confirmed them against HUD.
- 01
Find your building's age
If it was built in the last 15 years, the state cap likely doesn't apply.
- 02
Read your lease for an exemption notice
Individually owned houses and condos are only exempt if the landlord gave the required written notice.
- 03
Do the math over 12 months
The cap applies to all increases within any 12-month period combined, not per notice.
- 04
Get help if something's off
The Legal Aid Society of San Diego and the California Attorney General's tenant pages explain your options.
KEEP READING
SOURCES
Everything above traces back to one of these. Follow them — if one has changed and we haven't, that's our mistake, not yours.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2026-04-10
+3.2% for 12 months ending March 2026
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025-04-10
+3.8% for 12 months ending March 2025
California Attorney General · 2026-09-29
5% + CPI, 10% max; exemptions; just cause
Housing Authority of the County of San Diego · 2026-01-01
California Apartment Association · 2026-09
Paragraph 18 suspension of PC 396
- BackgroundFair Market Rents
HUD USER
FMR definition; FY2027 published
- BackgroundFY 2027 Fair Market Rent changes
Padmission
San Diego among large metros with FY2027 decreases