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Quick Answer
Berkeley’s Annual General Adjustment for 2027 is 2.5%, up from 1.0%, for increases that take effect during calendar year 2027. Oakland’s allowable increase is 2.3% for increases effective through July 31, 2027. Units covered only by state law (AB 1482) can go up as much as 8.8% over a rolling 12 months in the same window. Which number a unit gets depends on the date its increase takes effect. Outside Berkeley, that’s usually the lease anniversary. In Berkeley, it’s January 1: for fully rent-controlled Berkeley units, 2025 move-ins first become AGA-eligible on January 1, 2027, and 2026 move-ins first become eligible on January 1, 2028, subject to the lease, proper notice and Rent Board compliance. Eligible banked AGAs can make the actual increase different from 2.5%.
Key Facts: Rent Increase Limits for 2027
| Rule | Number | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley AGA (fully covered units) | 2.5% (2026: 1.0%) | Increases effective Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2027 |
| Berkeley new-tenancy rule | No increase in the year a tenancy starts or the next calendar year | 2026 move-ins: first eligible Jan 1, 2028 |
| Oakland allowable increase | 2.3% | Increases effective Aug 1, 2026 – Jul 31, 2027 |
| Oakland banking limit | Current CPI plus banking combined: no more than 3× the current rate (6.9%) | Same window |
| AB 1482 cap (Bay Area) | 8.8% (5% + 3.8% CPI) over a rolling 12 months | Increases effective Aug 1, 2026 – Jul 31, 2027 |
| Notice, cumulative increase of 10% or less over 12 months | 30 days written | Any otherwise lawful increase |
| Notice, cumulative increase over 10% | 90 days written | Any otherwise lawful increase |
Each rate applies only to units covered by that jurisdiction’s rules. For the full side-by-side, including Richmond, see our East Bay Rent Cap Update.
Prefer video? Watch the 2-minute video version, with chapter links and a full transcript.
Video Transcript
Berkeley’s rent increase for 2027 is two and a half percent, up from one percent. But whether a unit can take it in January depends on when the tenant moved in.
For fully rent-controlled Berkeley units, there’s a rule most owners don’t expect: no increase in the year a tenancy starts, or the following calendar year. So a 2025 move-in first becomes eligible on January 1, 2027, and a 2026 move-in waits until January 2028. The lease, proper notice and Rent Board compliance still have to line up.
That’s why, at AEBP, Berkeley is the one city where we raise rent on January 1. If you wait for the lease anniversary instead, every new tenancy waits twenty-four months. On January 1, a tenancy that started in November waits just fourteen.
Outside Berkeley, we time increases to each unit’s lease anniversary. Oakland’s limit is two point three percent through July 2027. For units covered only by state law, the cap is eight point eight percent over a rolling twelve months, for increases effective through July 31, 2027.
For a January 1 increase that qualifies for thirty-day notice, our conservative targets are November 25 if you mail it within California, or December 1 if you deliver it in person. Larger increases need ninety days.
The full guide, with the move-in table and the Berkeley eligibility checklist, is linked below.
What Changed for 2027
Berkeley’s rate changed. The Rent Stabilization Board adopted a 2.5% AGA for 2027 at its October 15, 2026 meeting (Regulation 1149). For a fully covered Berkeley unit, an eligible increase that takes effect during 2027 uses 2.5%. An increase that takes effect before January 1 still uses 2026’s 1.0%.
Oakland’s and AB 1482’s rates didn’t change. Both run August to July. The 2.3% and 8.8% figures set on August 1, 2026 cover increases effective through July 31, 2027. An increase effective August 1, 2027 or later uses whatever figures are published for the next cycle.
Berkeley’s rules may change on November 3. Berkeley voters decide Measure X, which would cap AGA-based increases at 10% in any 12 months, including banked AGAs. If you’re planning a large banked Berkeley increase, wait for the result. We’ll update this post after the vote.
How We Time Rent Increases at AEBP: Anniversaries Everywhere Except Berkeley
Every unit we manage has its own increase-eligibility date, and we track it in AppFolio, our property management software.
Outside Berkeley, that date is the lease anniversary. A lease that runs May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025 goes month-to-month on May 1, 2025. The unit becomes eligible for an increase that day, and again every May 1 after that.
In Berkeley, we raise rent on eligible units on January 1. That’s because of Berkeley’s new-tenancy rule: no AGA increase in the year a tenancy begins or the following calendar year. If we waited for a Berkeley lease’s anniversary after that delay ends, every tenancy would wait 24 months for its first increase, whatever month it started. Taking the increase on January 1, the first day it’s allowed, shortens the wait for every tenancy that didn’t start in January, down to 14 months for a November move-in. So when a new Berkeley tenancy starts, we set its first eligibility date in AppFolio to the second January after move-in. Increases are once a year, so Berkeley units stay on a January 1 cycle after that.
An eligibility date is when an increase becomes available, not an automatic one. Owners sometimes choose to skip a year, most often to keep a good tenant. In Berkeley, a skipped AGA isn’t lost: it can be banked and taken later with proper notice.
Berkeley’s rule also means the month a tenancy starts decides how long its first increase takes:
| Berkeley move-in | First AGA eligibility | Wait |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | January 1, 2027 | 24 months |
| July 2025 | January 1, 2027 | 18 months |
| November 2025 | January 1, 2027 | 14 months |
| Any month in 2026 | January 1, 2028 | 13 to 24 months |
Assumes a fully covered unit and a tenancy that starts on the first of the month.
A January move-in waits 24 months either way, the same as an anniversary increase would. It’s an odd incentive the ordinance creates: the closer to the end of the year a Berkeley lease starts, the shorter the wait. For eligible 2025 move-ins, that first increase can come this January, at the new 2.5%.
Which Rate Applies, by the Date the Increase Takes Effect
| Unit | Increase effective | Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Berkeley, fully covered, tenancy began 2025 or earlier | January 1, 2027 | 2.5% AGA (eligible banked AGAs can change the actual increase) |
| Berkeley, fully covered, tenancy began 2026 | January 1, 2028 | None in 2027 |
| Oakland, covered unit | May 1, 2027 | 2.3% |
| Oakland, covered unit | September 1, 2027 | The rate Oakland publishes for Aug 2027 – Jul 2028 |
| AB 1482-only unit (e.g., Emeryville) | June 1, 2027 | Up to 8.8% over a rolling 12 months |
These rows are examples of how the rates apply, not specific AEBP properties. Each assumes the unit is otherwise eligible.
Berkeley: Who Can Take the 2.5%
Most fully covered Berkeley units can take 2.5% for an increase effective in 2027. Under the Rent Board’s rules, the AGA isn’t available if any of these apply:
- The tenancy began in 2026 or 2027. The first AGA comes in the second January after move-in.
- Registration fees aren’t fully paid.
- A Rent Board order denies AGAs for the unit.
- There are serious repair problems or open housing code violations.
- Security deposit interest hasn’t been paid.
- A fixed-term lease is still running, unless the lease allows a mid-term increase.
For registration deadlines, deposit interest and the rest of Berkeley’s rules, see our Berkeley Rent Control Compliance Guide.
Oakland: The 2.3% Increase
A covered Oakland unit can go up 2.3% for an increase effective between August 1, 2026 and July 31, 2027. Eligible banked CPI amounts can be added, but the combined current CPI plus banking increase cannot exceed 6.9% this cycle. Banked CPI increases are subject to expiration and other eligibility limits. Check Oakland’s current banking rules before including older amounts. See our Oakland banking tip for how banking works, and our Oakland rent control guide for coverage.
Before an Oakland increase:
- Confirm the unit is registered with the Rent Adjustment Program when the increase is served, the first increase is at least 12 months after move-in, any prior increase was at least 12 months ago, and at least six months have passed since the tenant first received the RAP Notice.
- Include a copy of the City’s RAP Notice with every rent increase notice.
- Attach a current Business Tax Certificate or, for a CPI-only increase, a current signed City payment plan for delinquent business taxes. An increase that includes banked amounts requires a current Business Tax Certificate.
Units Covered Only by AB 1482
For increases effective August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027, the cap is 8.8% over a rolling 12 months, in no more than two increments. It isn’t an additional 8.8% after an earlier increase. This applies to many Emeryville units and to Oakland and Berkeley units that local rent control doesn’t cover but state law does.
The single-family-home/condo exemption also requires qualifying ownership: no REIT, corporation, or LLC with a corporate member, plus the required written exemption notice. Notice alone does not establish eligibility (Civil Code §1947.12(d)(5)). See our AB 1482 exemption-notice tip, and month-to-month rent increases in California for how often and how much.
Berkeley’s January 1 Deadlines (and Any Other January 1 Increase)
For a January 1, 2027 increase that qualifies for 30-day notice:
| Step | Planning target |
|---|---|
| Confirm which rule applies (Berkeley, Oakland, AB 1482 or exempt) | Now |
| Check Berkeley eligibility (move-in year, registration, repairs, deposit interest) | Mid-November |
| Wait for the Measure X result before a large banked Berkeley increase | After Nov 3 |
| Mail the 30-day notice, first-class within California (adds 5 days) | By Wednesday, Nov 25 |
| Serve the 30-day notice in person | By Tuesday, Dec 1 |
| New rent takes effect | Friday, Jan 1, 2027 |
For an otherwise lawful increase, use at least 30 days when the cumulative increase is 10% or less over the preceding 12 months; use 90 days above 10%, measured from the lowest rent in that period. First-class mailing within California adds five days; mailing from elsewhere can require longer. November 25 and December 1 are conservative planning targets for a January 1 increase that qualifies for 30-day notice.
Self-Managed vs. AEBP-Managed Rent Increases
| Task | If You Self-Manage | With AEBP |
|---|---|---|
| Knowing when each unit is eligible | You track lease dates yourself | Each unit’s eligibility date tracked in AppFolio |
| Berkeley’s new-tenancy delay | You remember to skip new tenants | First eligibility set to the second January after move-in |
| Berkeley timing | Easy to wait for the anniversary and lose months | Increases on eligible Berkeley units taken January 1, the first day allowed |
Bottom Line
The 2027 numbers are set: 2.5% for fully covered Berkeley units, 2.3% in Oakland through July, and 8.8% under AB 1482 through July. What decides which one a unit gets is the date its increase takes effect, and whether the unit is eligible on that date, so track each unit separately. For eligible Berkeley units, that date is January 1, and the notices for it go out in November.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Berkeley’s AGA for 2027?
2.5%, adopted by the Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board on October 15, 2026. It applies to increases on fully covered units that take effect during calendar year 2027. Increases effective in 2026 use 1.0%.
Should Berkeley rent increases happen on January 1?
They don’t have to; an eligible owner can raise rent later in the year with proper notice. But Berkeley’s new-tenancy rule makes January 1 the earliest date a tenancy can take its first increase. Waiting for the lease anniversary means a 24-month wait for every tenancy, versus as little as 13 months on January 1. AEBP takes increases on eligible Berkeley units on January 1 for that reason.
Can I raise rent on a Berkeley tenant who moved in during 2026?
Not in 2027, for a fully covered unit. Berkeley bars AGA increases in the calendar year a tenancy begins and the following calendar year, so a tenancy that began in 2026 first becomes eligible on January 1, 2028, subject to the lease, proper notice and Rent Board compliance.
How much can rent go up in Oakland in 2027?
2.3% for a covered unit with an increase effective through July 31, 2027. Eligible banked CPI amounts can be added, but the combined current CPI plus banking increase cannot exceed 6.9% this cycle. Increases effective August 1, 2027 or later use the next published rate.
How much notice does a California rent increase require?
For an otherwise lawful increase, at least 30 days’ written notice when the cumulative increase is 10% or less over the preceding 12 months, and 90 days above 10%, measured from the lowest rent in that period. First-class mailing within California adds five days; mailing from elsewhere can require longer. For a January 1, 2027 increase that qualifies for 30-day notice, November 25 (mailed) and December 1 (in person) are conservative planning targets.
Sources
- Berkeley 2027 AGA, 2.5%, eligibility bars and new-tenancy rule — Required by local ordinance. Berkeley Rent Board — Annual General Adjustment; Rent Board meeting agenda, October 15, 2026
- Oakland 2.3%, banking limit, RAP Notice and 12-month rules, business tax requirements (OMC §8.22.070) — Required by local ordinance. City of Oakland — Allowable Rent Increases; Oakland RAP — Rent Levels and Rent Regulation info sheet (May 28, 2026)
- Oakland registration requirement for rent increases — Required by local ordinance. City of Oakland — Rent Registration FAQs
- AB 1482 8.8% and single-family/condo exemption — Required by law. BLS, Consumer Price Index, San Francisco Area, April 2026; Civil Code §1947.12, including (d)(5)
- Notice periods and mailing — Required by law. Civil Code §827; Code of Civil Procedure §1013; California DRE, 2026 Landlord-Tenant Guide (pp. 39, 44–46)
- Measure X — City of Berkeley — November 2026 impartial analyses
- AEBP’s eligibility-date tracking and January 1 Berkeley timing — Company practice, confirmed by AEBP (anecdote log, October 30, 2026).
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