Pasadena’s cap on rent increases for covered units rises to 2.5% on Oct. 1, a quarter of a percentage point above the 2.25% now in force.
The Pasadena Rental Housing Board adopted the Annual General Adjustment at its June 18 meeting, and the city announced it Monday. The AGA rate is the ceiling on lawful increases for existing tenancies in covered units through Sept. 30, 2027.
Under Section 1808 of Charter Article XVIII, the board sets the figure at 75% of the annual rise in the Consumer Price Index for the Los Angeles area over the 12 months ending in March, rounded to the nearest quarter point. That index rose 3.4% in the year ending March 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Three-quarters of it is 2.55%, which rounds to 2.5%.
On a $2,000 monthly rent, the city said, the increase works out to $50, bringing the rent to $2,050, provided all applicable requirements are met.
A landlord may take one increase in any 12-month period, with written notice at least 30 days in advance, so notice must reach the tenant 30 days before Oct. 1 to charge the higher rent that day. The charter does not authorize any increase above a unit’s maximum lawful rent, and a landlord who has not registered the unit and paid the Rental Housing Fee may not raise rent at all. The 2026 registration window runs Sept. 1 through Oct. 31.
Unused room does not carry forward, because Section 1808(a)(4) bars banking. Multifamily buildings built after Feb. 1, 1995, and separately saleable single-family homes and condominiums are among the units excluded.
A landlord seeking more than the adjustment may be eligible to petition under Charter Section 1814, the city said.
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