Each Sep 1 it rises by 75% of inflation, never below 0%.
Why, and the exact law
From Santa Monica City Charter art. XVIII, § 1805, read Oct 3, 2026.Show the law
“in no event shall the general
adjustment be less than zero percent or greater than three (3) percent …”
Santa Monica City Charter art. XVIII, § 1805 · santamonica.gov
Not rent-controlled?
Newer buildings and many houses follow California's limit instead: 5% plus local inflation, never more than 10% a year. In Los Angeles and Orange County that is 8.7% until Jul 31, 2027. Your address tells us which one applies.
Who can help
Ask the Santa Monica Rent Control BoardFree counselors explain your options, by phone or in person.Santa Monica Rent Control Board
Get free legal helpIf your landlord won't fix it.LawHelpCA
State law applies here too. Where both cover a rental, the stricter city rule usually wins; each rule below says so.
Santa Monica lawDepends on the building
Santa Monica Rent Control Charter Amendment: maximum allowable rents and annual general adjustment
How much can my rent go up?
Max 3% a year.
Each Sep 1 it rises by 75% of inflation, never below 0%.
Depends on the year the building was built.
Who it covers
Buildings completed on or before Apr 10, 1979.
Not owner-occupied buildings with 3 units or fewer.
Covers: All residential rental units in Santa Monica except exempt units (hotels, institutions, owner-occupied up to 3 units, units constructed after adoption of the Article, certain single family homes per §1815, State Park/tidelands property per §1820).
Exemptions: Transient hotel/motel units; hospitals, convents, dormitories; certain government units; owner-occupied dwellings of 3 or fewer units; units constructed after adoption of the Article (not conversions); non-profit child care/social service units; single family homes not rented July 1, 1984; State Park/tidelands property. Exemptions are granted by the Board on owner application.
In force since
Dec 6, 2022
Enacted
Nov 8, 2022
The law, word for word
“in no event shall the general
adjustment be less than zero percent or greater than three (3) percent …”
Santa Monica City Charter art. XVIII, § 1805 · santamonica.gov · Retrieved Oct 3, 2026
California lawDepends on the building
California Tenant Protection Act rent cap
Can my landlord raise my rent?
For most older rentals, yes: max 5% plus inflation (never over 10%).
The cap follows local inflation (April to April) and resets each August 1.
Depends on the year the building was built.
Who it covers
Not buildings less than 15 years old.
Not owner-occupied buildings with 2 units or fewer.
Covers: Residential real property generally, unless exempt.
Exemptions: Deed-restricted/subsidized affordable housing; dormitories; housing under stricter local rent control; CO issued within previous 15 years; certain separately alienable properties (single-family homes, condos) with non-corporate owners and written notice; owner-occupied duplexes.
In force since
Mar 15, 2019
Current version since
Apr 1, 2024
Set to be repealed
Jan 1, 2030
The law, word for word
“an owner of residential real property shall not, over the course of any 12-month period, increase the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower …”