Thursday Tip: Richmond’s Rent Cap Just Flipped Below Oakland’s

💡 Richmond’s Rate Just Flipped Below Oakland’s

For the last several cycles, Richmond’s annual rent cap ran higher than Oakland’s — 1.62% versus Oakland’s 0.8% last cycle. Close enough that a multi-city owner could apply Oakland’s number to a Richmond unit and only slightly under-collect. That relationship just reversed.

Oakland’s cap rose to 2.3% on August 1. Richmond’s dropped to 1.5% on September 1. Apply Oakland’s rate to a Richmond unit now, and the increase exceeds what Richmond’s own cap allows — which a tenant can challenge through Richmond’s petition process.

What We See at AEBP

We manage properties in both Oakland and Richmond, and we watched this relationship flip firsthand this cycle. Last cycle, Richmond’s AGA (1.62%) ran higher than Oakland’s (0.8%) — close enough that defaulting to Oakland’s lower number on a Richmond unit only meant under-collecting a little. This cycle, Oakland’s cap rose to 2.3% on August 1, and Richmond’s dropped to 1.5% on September 1. Same habit, opposite result: apply Oakland’s rate to a Richmond unit now and you’re over Richmond’s cap, not under it.

Don’t carry forward what was true last cycle, or what’s true in another city — confirm the current number before you serve the notice.

What to Confirm Before Your Next Richmond Rent Increase

1. Check Richmond’s current AGA (1.5% for Sept 1, 2026–Aug 31, 2027) directly. Don’t carry forward Oakland’s number or last cycle’s relationship between the two.
2. Confirm the unit is fully covered (Richmond’s rent cap + just cause) before applying Richmond’s AGA at all — partially covered units (single-family homes, condos) don’t get Richmond’s local cap, though AB 1482’s state cap may still apply.
3. Run the specific unit through Richmond’s own MAR calculator. The 1.5% stacks onto Base Rent plus every AGA applied since 2015 — it isn’t a flat multiplier.
4. If you own across more than one East Bay city, re-check each city’s current-cycle rate on its own. Which city runs higher has moved before and will move again.

💡 This Week’s Takeaway

Richmond and Oakland’s rent caps just swapped places. The habit that used to be safe — rounding a Richmond unit up to Oakland’s number — now puts you over Richmond’s cap, not under it. Check each city’s current-cycle rate on its own before you serve the next notice.

📘 Learn More

This is one piece of the full Richmond breakdown in this week’s cornerstone guide:

→ Richmond Rent Control 2026: What Landlords Must Know About the Richmond Fair Rent Act — the full guide this tip is drawn from
→ Property Management in Richmond — how we handle Richmond compliance day to day