These early‑year updates are designed to give renters some breathing room in L.A.’s costly housing market.
Los Angeles, like other major cities, is facing a housing crunch that hits low-income households hardest, and rising living costs aren’t easing the pressure. To help tenants, starting February 2026 landlords will be limited to raising rent on most units by no more than 3% per year, a modest but meaningful update to the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO) pushed by Keep L.A. Housed with support from the housing justice group SAJE.
Which units are affected
LARSO applies to buildings in the City of Los Angeles that were built before October 1, 1978, and have two or more units. In unincorporated areas of L.A. County, the law covers properties with a Certificate of Occupancy issued on or before February 1, 1995. Most of these units are limited to rent increases of 1.93% through June 30, 2026, though small property landlords who self-certify can raise rents up to 2.93%, and luxury units can increase up to 3.93%.
Other rental units built before January 1, 2005, fall under California’s Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), which caps annual rent hikes at 8% statewide (5% plus CPI). Single-family homes are generally excluded unless owned by corporate landlords. To check if your unit is covered by these protections, you can do so directly here.