Rent increases in Palm Springs: the local rules

Each rule below links to the section of the Palm Springs Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Palm Springs's code says

Palm Springs code What Palm Springs's code adds
Annual increase limit	No more than 3/4 of the CPI cost-of-living increase since September 1979. Applies: Units under the city's 1990 Measure H rent law; counted cumulatively from September 1979 base rent (CPI 220.7); 1979-law increases count toward it. § 4.08.040 · code text no landlord of any unit covered by this chapter shall request, demand or retain from any tenant or prospective tenant a rent increase in excess of three-fourths of the increase in cost of living as indicated by the Consumer Price Index, since September 1979.
How often rent can go up	No more than 1 rent increase in any 12-month period. Applies: Units under the city's CPI-based rent control laws of 1979 and 1990 (Measure H). § 4.02.040 · code text No landlord shall be entitled to more than one such rent increase in any twelve-month period.
Petitions and pass-throughs	An owner may file a Fair Return Petition for an increase above the Section 4.10.030 limit (10%, or 5% plus local CPI, whichever is lower), decided by the Rent Review Commission Applies: Owner must show the increase is needed for a fair and reasonable return, with an independent financial report and verified financial data; owner pays the City's review costs; tenant gets a copy and 30 days to respond § 4.10.050 · code text An owner of residential real property may petition for a rent increase in excess of that provided in section 4.10.030 in order to obtain a fair and reasonable return on their property ("Fair Return Petition"). A certificate of bona fide conversion from the rent review commission is required before raising rents above the allowed amounts. Applies: Converting a rental mobile home park to resident ownership. § 4.08.136 · code text This section requires any subdivider to obtain a certificate, as defined hereinafter, from the rent review commission prior to adjusting the rent payable for any residential rental unit(s) in excess of the amount of such rent allowed by Chapters 4.02, 4.04, and/or 4.08.

The California rule underneath

Where Palm Springs's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see California's statewide rent cap.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Rent cap right now	8.1% for increases taking effect August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027 (5% plus 3.1% inflation) Applies: Covered units only. Inflation is the BLS consumer price index for the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area, March to March, as the statute requires; the figure is recomputed every year. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1), (g)
Statewide rent increase cap (AB 1482)	5% plus the change in cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower, over any 12 months Applies: Covered units only; measured against the lowest rent charged in the prior 12 months. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(1)
Number of rent increases	No more than two increases in any 12-month period Civ. Code § 1947.12(a)(2)
Rent cap — new construction exemption	Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling) Applies: Mobilehomes excepted. Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(4)
Rent cap — single-family home or condo exemption	A home or condo that can be sold on its own is exempt when the owner is not a REIT, a corporation or an LLC with a corporate member, and the tenant was given the written exemption notice Applies: The same exemption applies to the just-cause rule (§ 1946.2(e)(8)). Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(5)
Rent cap — owner-occupied duplex exemption	A duplex in one building is exempt when the owner lived in the other unit at the start of the tenancy and still does, unless either unit is an ADU or JADU Civ. Code § 1947.12(d)(6)
New tenancy resets the rent	When no prior tenant remains, the owner may set the initial rent; the cap applies to later increases Civ. Code § 1947.12(b)
Rent cap sunset	§ 1947.12 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended Civ. Code § 1947.12(o)

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

How much can rent go up in Palm Springs?

Measure H units: total increases since September 1979 are limited to 3/4 of the CPI increase; no more than 1 increase per 12 months.

General information, not legal advice.

Rent increases in Palm Springs

Key points

What Palm Springs's code says

The California rule underneath

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

Ask about a specific Palm Springs property

More on renting & eviction in Palm Springs