Asking because the answer changed three times in six months and I keep seeing the wrong one quoted: City of LA RSO is 3% flat now (the utility add-ons died Feb 2, if your notice after that date still had the +1%/+2%, it's over the cap). Unincorporated county (Altadena, East LA…) is 1.919%, not a typo. And the state cap resets Aug 1: 8.0% → 8.7%.
@Chance Beyer — good breakdown. This is exactly where LA landlords get tripped up because you're actually dealing with three separate regulatory layers, and each one has different effective dates and calculation methods.
City of LA RSO (covered units): 3% flat, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. You're correct that the gas/electric surcharges (1%/1%) died as of Feb. 2, 2025 — any notice served after that date using the old 4–5% number is over the cap and voidable. The new rate for July 1, 2026 forward hasn't been published yet, but expect it in the next few weeks from LAHD.
Unincorporated LA County (Altadena, East LA, etc.): 1.919% under the LCCRO. This one catches people because it's based on 60% of CPI-U, which came in lower than expected. If you're in unincorporated territory, that's your ceiling — no banking, no pass-throughs.
AB 1482 (state cap): Resets August 1 to 8.7% (5% + 3.7% CPI). This only applies to units not covered by a local ordinance that's more restrictive. So if you're RSO-covered, the 3% applies, not 8.7%. If you're in an unincorporated area with LCCRO coverage, the 1.919% applies. AB 1482's 8.7% is your cap only for units that fall outside both local ordinances (typically newer construction or single-family homes not owned by corporations or REITs).
The practical question: Which cap applies to each of your units depends on (1) location, (2) year built, (3) ownership structure, and (4) exemption status. If you have units spread across the City of LA and unincorporated areas, you could easily have three different caps in the same portfolio.
I built a free rent increase compliance checker at leasebase.ai that calculates the correct cap based on your property's specific situation — address, unit type, and jurisdiction. No account required. Might save you the headache of tracking which number applies where.
LeaseBase.ai