Oakland Rent Control & Just Cause

Last updated: October 4, 2026. Figures checked against City of Oakland sources on that date.

Allowable Rent Increase: 2.3% (Aug. 1, 2026 – July 31, 2027)

For units covered by Oakland’s Rent Adjustment Ordinance, the allowable annual rent increase is 2.3% for increases taking effect from August 1, 2026, through July 31, 2027. Oakland sets it each year at 60% of the change in the regional Consumer Price Index (CPI), capped at 3%. Last year’s figure was 0.8%. Source: City of Oakland.

• Which units are covered? Oakland’s rent limits generally apply to units with a certificate of occupancy issued before January 1, 1983. Newer units, and some single-family homes and condos, may be exempt from the rent limit but still covered by Just Cause. RAP can confirm a specific unit’s status.
• Once a year. Rent can be increased only once in a 12-month period, and not until 12 months after move-in.
• Written notice. At least 30 days’ written notice is required. Fixed-term leases generally wait until the term ends unless the lease allows an increase.
• The RAP Notice. Owners must give residents the RAP Notice (in English, Spanish, and Chinese) at the start of a tenancy and with every rent increase notice. No increase can take effect until 6 months after the resident first receives it.
• Registration and business tax. Covered units must be registered with RAP to increase rents, and owners who are delinquent on Oakland business taxes can’t raise rents. Rent increase notices must include a copy of the owner’s current Business Tax Certificate (or, for CPI-only increases, a City payment plan).
• Banking. Unused annual increases can generally be “banked” for up to 5 years, but no single year’s increase can exceed 3 times the current CPI figure.
• Increases above CPI require a justification such as capital improvements, increased housing service costs, uninsured repair costs, or fair return, and combined increases can’t exceed the state cap (8.8% as of August 1, 2026).
• Challenging an increase. Residents can file a petition with RAP within 180 days of receiving a rent increase notice.
• New tenancies. When all residents in a unit are new, the owner can set the starting rent.

Just Cause for Eviction

Most Oakland rentals are covered by the Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance, including most apartments and condos, single-family homes, owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes, SROs, and Section 8 units. The main exception is ground-up new construction with a certificate of occupancy issued within the past 10 years. A tenancy can be ended only for one of these causes: Source: City of Oakland.

1. Failure to pay rent (at least one month of HUD Fair Market Rent owed)
2. Material violation of the rental agreement after written notice to stop
3. Causing substantial damage to the unit
4. Continuing to disturb other residents after written notice to stop
5. Unlawful activity on the premises
6. Refusing the owner lawful access for repairs after proper written notice
7. Owner returning to the unit as their principal residence, as provided in the rental agreement
8. Owner or a qualifying relative moving in as their principal residence
9. Withdrawing the unit from the rental market under the Ellis Act
10. Substantial repairs that can’t be made while the unit is occupied and affect health and safety

• Not a just cause: the lease ending, the sale of the property, a condo conversion, a change in Section 8 status, or a resident declining to sign a new lease.
• School-year protection: no-fault evictions can’t take effect during the Oakland Unified School District school year if the household includes school-age children or OUSD educators.
• Notices: every eviction notice must state the cause and say that advice is available from RAP, and a copy must be filed with RAP within 10 days. No-fault notices must also include the owner’s current Business Tax Certificate.

Relocation Payments

When a resident must move for a no-fault reason — such as an owner or relative move-in, the Ellis Act, a condo conversion, or code compliance work — Oakland’s Uniform Relocation Ordinance requires relocation payments. For owner or relative move-ins, the base amounts from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, are (source: City of Oakland):

• $8,293.13 for a studio or one-bedroom unit
• $10,206.93 for a two-bedroom unit
• $12,599.18 for a unit with three or more bedrooms
• Plus one additional $2,500 payment per unit if the household includes a lower-income, elderly, or disabled resident, or a minor child

Amounts adjust every July 1. Confirm current figures with the City before relying on them.

Oakland Fair Chance Housing Ordinance

Oakland’s Fair Chance Housing Ordinance generally prohibits rental housing providers from asking about or using an applicant’s criminal history when advertising, screening, selecting residents, or evicting, with narrow exceptions (for example, certain owner-occupied properties, and limited checks required for some federally funded units). Our Rental Criteria follow this rule. Source: City of Oakland.

For Residents

• Ask us for a copy of the RAP Notice at any time.
• If you have questions about a rent increase or notice, you can contact a RAP housing counselor at (510) 238-3721 or RAP@oaklandca.gov — free, for both residents and owners.
• Request repairs by contacting us; see Resident Resources.
• Oakland’s Tenant Protection Ordinance prohibits harassment of residents. Learn more about the Tenant Protection Ordinance.
• City information for tenants, including translated notices: RAP — For Tenants.

How OPM Handles Compliance for Owners

For the Oakland buildings we manage, OPM takes care of:

• Oakland business tax filings and keeping a current Business Tax Certificate on file for rent increase and other notices
• RAP registration of covered units and annual registry updates, and the annual RAP fee
• RAP notices — the RAP Notice in three languages at move-in and with every rent increase, and required building postings
• Rent increases calculated within the allowable amount, with the required attachments
• RAP tenant petitions and owner responses, including documentation, coordinated with your attorney when needed

Official City Sources

• Rent Adjustment Program (RAP)
• Allowable rent increases
• Understanding evictions in Oakland (Just Cause)
• Uniform Relocation Ordinance
• RAP fee and business taxes
• Fair Chance Housing Ordinance
• California Attorney General: limits on rent increases