This page will serve as a general place to help you learn about your rights regarding rent increases in the city of Oakland, CA and it will also help you figure out if your rent increase is valid.

Ready to get started?

Let’s start by figuring out if the rent increase you have questions about is even legal.

When receiving a rent increase, it’s important to confirm that it’s legal. In CA and in the city of Oakland, tenants have rights regarding how to receive rent increases, how much of an increase they can receive, and protecting them from retaliation. For example, your landlord cannot text you a rent increase or increase your rent verbally. Both of those methods are immediately invalid and give you an opportunity to pay only valid rent increases. If your landlord repeatedly tries to raise your rent verbally or through text, we recommend that you look at our harassment section as well as our rent increases page.

For a rent increase to be valid it needs the following:

  1. To be delivered via first class mail or in person to you or to a responsible member of your household.
  2. Give you 30 days notice for rent increases that are 10% or less or, 60 days notice if the increase is more than 10%. Help me calculate the increase.
  3. The owner must also include: notice of the existence of O.M.C. Chapter 8.22 and the Tenant’s right to petition against any rent increase in excess of the CPI Rent Adjustment unless such rent increase is pursuant to an approved Petition. O.M.C. 8.22.070(H)(1). (Usually near the bottom of the notice)
  4. For rent increases based on CPI or banking, owner must also include the amount of the CPI Rent Adjustment and the amount of any Banking increase. O.M.C. 8.22.070(H)(2).
  5. Are you in periodic lease (month to month) or are you in a Fixed term lease (one year,6 months, etc)? This matters because if you’re in a fixed term- your landlord cannot raise your rent during that time.

Does your notice meet all the requirements above?