Rent Increase Calculator
Calculate maximum allowable rent increase based on CPI, local limits, and multi-year projections.
About this calculator
This calculator estimates a lease renewal rent increase using the structure most statewide rent-cap laws actually use: a fixed statutory base percentage added to CPI, with the combined total then limited by an absolute ceiling. California's AB 1482 (codified as Civil Code §1947.12) is a concrete, verifiable example — the statute's own text caps the annual increase at "5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower" (the Los Angeles-area figure published for 2026 works out to 8.7%: 5% plus a 3.7% regional CPI reading, below the 10% ceiling); other California regions and other states with their own caps compute a different combined figure from the same base-plus-CPI structure. Oregon's statewide cap under SB 608, codified at ORS §90.324(1), works the same way with a 7% base instead of 5% — the statute caps the increase at the lesser of 10% or "[s]even percent plus the September annual 12-month average change" in the regional Consumer Price Index. Many rent-stabilization ordinances tie the CPI component to a published local index specifically to keep rent growth in line with general cost-of-living inflation, so entering your area's actual CPI figure (available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics or your local rent board) matters — a generic national CPI rate can understate or overstate what your specific ordinance actually permits.
In an uncontrolled market, use the Base Increase % field for a market-rate adjustment instead of a statutory base, and Absolute Increase Cap for any cap you want to model (or 0 for no cap at all). Whichever is lower between the combined Base + CPI increase and the Absolute Increase Cap actually takes effect, and the calculator flags whether the cap was the binding constraint. Beyond the single-year calculation, the multi-year projection compounds the same effective increase rate forward, useful for budgeting or negotiating multi-year lease terms, though it assumes CPI, the base percentage, and the cap all stay constant across every projected year — a simplification worth remembering since actual future CPI readings and rent-control ordinances can and do change from year to year. This calculator does not model notice-period requirements, which are separate from the increase amount itself — California, for example, requires 30 days' notice for increases of 10% or less and 90 days' notice above that.
Financial Disclaimer
This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Results are estimates based on the inputs provided. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making investment or financial planning decisions.
Inputs
Results
New Monthly Rent
$1,519.00
Monthly Increase
$119.00
Figures current as of 2026. Sources: Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1) (enacted by AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019)., Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.324(1) (enacted by SB 608 (2019)).
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Current Monthly Rent as your starting point.
- Set CPI Inflation Rate — the current annual CPI your ordinance references (or a generic estimate if uncontrolled).
- Set Base Increase % (Above CPI) — your ordinance's fixed statutory base added to CPI (5% for California's AB 1482, 7% for Oregon's SB 608), or a market-rate adjustment if your area has no rent control.
- Enter Absolute Increase Cap — the hard ceiling on the combined Base + CPI increase (10% under both AB 1482 and SB 608, though some cities publish a lower local ceiling).
- Review New Monthly Rent and Monthly/Annual Increase amounts.
- Check Projected Rent (Year N) for multi-year budgeting and lease planning.
How the result changes with Current Monthly Rent
| Current Monthly Rent | New Monthly Rent | Monthly Increase |
|---|---|---|
| $700.00 | $759.50 | $59.50 |
| $1,050.00 | $1,139.25 | $89.25 |
| $2,100.00 | $2,278.50 | $178.50 |
| $3,500.00 | $3,797.50 | $297.50 |
What each input means
- Current Monthly Rent
- Current monthly rent amount.
- CPI Inflation Rate
- Current annual CPI inflation rate.
- Base Increase % (Above CPI)
- In most statewide rent-cap laws this is a fixed statutory base added to CPI (e.g. California's AB 1482 uses 5%, Oregon's SB 608 uses 7%) — enter your ordinance's base percentage. In an uncontrolled market, use this field for a market-rate adjustment above CPI instead.
- Absolute Increase Cap
- The hard statutory ceiling on the combined (Base + CPI) increase, regardless of how high CPI runs — both AB 1482 and SB 608 cap at 10% (some cities publish a lower local ceiling). Enter 0 only if no legal cap applies at all; do not enter 0 to represent an enacted 0% freeze, since 0 is read as "uncapped," not "capped at zero."
- Years to Project
- Number of years to project rent forward.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters5 parametersCurrent Monthly Rent = 1400, CPI Inflation Rate = 3.5, Additional Increase = 5, Max Allowed Increase = 10, Years to Project = 5 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate New Monthly RentNew Monthly Rent1519 = $1,519
- Calculate Monthly IncreaseMonthly Increase119 = $119
- Calculate Annual IncreaseAnnual Increase1428 = $1,428
- Calculate Actual IncreaseActual Increase8.5 = 8.5%
Figures and sources
- California statewide rent cap — 5% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower (2026) — Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1) (enacted by AB 1482, the Tenant Protection Act of 2019).
- Oregon statewide rent cap — 7% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is lower (2026) — Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.324(1) (enacted by SB 608 (2019)).
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I find the correct CPI rate for my area's rent control ordinance?
Many rent-stabilization ordinances specify a particular CPI index (often a regional CPI-U figure) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and some cities publish their own annual allowable increase percentage derived directly from that CPI reading. Check your local rent board or housing authority's website for the specific figure your ordinance actually references, since using a generic national CPI number can produce a different result than your jurisdiction's official allowable increase.
What happens if my combined increase exceeds the absolute cap?
The calculator applies whichever is lower between your combined increase (Base Increase % plus CPI) and the Absolute Increase Cap you enter, and the 'Was Increase Capped?' output flags when the cap was the binding constraint rather than your combined figure. This mirrors how statewide caps like California's AB 1482 (Civil Code §1947.12) and Oregon's SB 608 (ORS §90.324) actually work — both statutes are written as 'the lesser of 10% or base-plus-CPI,' so the landlord cannot legally charge more than the capped amount regardless of how high the base-plus-CPI total runs.
Should I enter 0 for Absolute Increase Cap if there's no rent control in my area?
Yes, but only if there is truly no legal cap at all — entering 0 tells the calculator to apply your full Base + CPI increase without capping it. Do not enter 0 to represent a jurisdiction's enacted 0% rent freeze (some cities have imposed these during emergencies); the calculator cannot distinguish '0% legally allowed' from 'no cap applies' when you type 0, so in a genuine 0%-freeze jurisdiction you should treat any increase this calculator computes as not actually permitted and confirm the real, current figure with your local rent board.
Why does the multi-year projection assume the same rate every year?
The projection compounds a single effective increase rate — based on the CPI, base percentage, and cap you entered — forward across every projected year, since it has no way to know how CPI readings or a rent control ordinance's terms might change in future years. Treat the multi-year figure as a useful planning estimate under a 'rates stay roughly the same' assumption, not a guarantee of what actual future increases will be.
Does this calculator apply to commercial leases too?
This calculator is built around residential rent increase mechanics — a statutory base plus CPI, capped at an absolute ceiling — which is a different structure than most commercial leases use. Commercial leases typically specify their own escalation terms directly in the lease (a fixed percentage, a different CPI formula, or periodic market rate resets), so check the lease document itself rather than applying this calculator's residential assumptions to a commercial tenancy.
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