Berkeley rent control: Annual General Adjustment 2026 and 2027
Allowed increase for covered units: 1.0% (January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026); 2.5% from January 1, 2027. Previous period: 2.1% (January 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025).
Checked against the official Berkeley sources on November 8, 2026. Last site change: November 8, 2026 (changelog).
How the increase is set
65% of the Bay Area CPI-U change (July to June of the prior year), at most 5%. Adopted by the Rent Board each October, effective January 1. Unused adjustments may be banked.
What else to know
- 2026: 1.0% (Regulation 1148). 2027: 2.5% (Regulation 1149, adopted October 2026).
- No adjustment for the rest of the year a tenancy started plus the following calendar year; a fixed-term lease must expire first.
- The landlord must be in compliance with registration to take the increase.
Example
On a rent of $2,000 the most a covered unit can go up is $20, to $2,020 a month.
Which units are covered?
Most rental units fully covered by the Rent Ordinance with a registered rent ceiling; units built after the ordinance's new-construction cutoff and Costa-Hawkins-exempt houses and condos are not.
Units that are not covered by the local ordinance are usually covered by the statewide cap instead: 5% plus regional inflation, never more than 10% in 12 months. For increases from Aug 1, 2026: 8.1% to 8.8% depending on the county. California rent increase calculator →
Notice
30 days' written notice for increases of 10% or less, 90 days above 10% (Civil Code §827). See also notice rules by state.
Nearby: Oakland rent control · San Francisco rent control
Sources: Berkeley Rent Board: Annual General Adjustment · AGA 2027 Order (Regulation 1149)