AB 1482 Rent Increase Calculator Long Beach 2026

By Miles Williams | Broker/Owner, Real Property Management Southland | CA DRE #01968830

Updated June 2026 | Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI: 3.1% (BLS, 2025)

Why the AB 1482 Calculation Matters for Long Beach Landlords in 2026

If you own a rental property in Long Beach, getting the AB 1482 calculation right is not optional. A rent increase that exceeds the statutory cap exposes you to tenant complaints, potential rent rollback demands, and in some cases attorney fee liability. Get it wrong in the other direction and you leave real money on the table every single year.

I manage over 730 properties right now across SE Los Angeles County, including a significant number in Long Beach. The question I get most from landlords every year around January and February is: “Miles, what’s the number for this year?” The answer for 2026 is 8.1%. But the number alone is only part of the story. The calculation has moving parts that trip up even experienced owners, and Long Beach adds a layer of complexity because pre-1995 buildings operate under a separate city ordinance with a stricter 3% cap.

The Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) created a statewide formula for rent increases: 5% plus local CPI, capped at 10% total. For Long Beach specifically, the relevant CPI index is the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim Metropolitan Statistical Area as published annually by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2025 annual CPI figure for that MSA was 3.1% (BLS, 2025), which puts the 2026 ceiling at exactly 8.1%. This guide walks you through the full calculation, three worked dollar examples, the mandatory notice process, and the critical pitfalls that cost landlords money or create legal exposure.

One more thing before we get into the math: this article applies only to AB 1482-covered units. If your Long Beach property is a pre-1995 multi-family building, you are operating under the Long Beach Rent Ordinance (LBMC 8.99) and your cap is 3%, not 8.1%. I cover that distinction in full in the comparison section below.

Does AB 1482 Cover My Long Beach Rental? Coverage Checklist

Before you run any calculation, you need to confirm that your unit is subject to AB 1482 at all. The law covers most residential rentals in California, but there are important carve-outs. Work through this checklist:

• Built between February 1, 1995 and December 31, 2009. Units built after 1995 and before 2010 are the core AB 1482 coverage zone. Buildings constructed in 2010 or later are currently exempt from the rent cap (though just-cause eviction protections still apply after 12 months of tenancy).
• Residential use only. AB 1482 covers residential rentals. Commercial properties are not covered regardless of age.
• No active SFH or condo exemption notice. Single-family homes and condominiums can be excluded if the owner served a proper written AB 1482 exemption notice either as part of the lease or as a separate addendum. If that notice was never provided, the property may be covered even if it is technically eligible for exemption.
• Not an owner-occupied duplex. If you live in one unit of a two-unit building, the other unit is exempt from the rent cap.
• Not government-subsidized. Units with a recorded covenant of affordability or those participating in a Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher agreement where rent is set by HUD are excluded.
• Not a pre-1995 Long Beach multi-family building. These fall under the stricter Long Beach Rent Ordinance (LBMC 8.99) with a 3% annual cap. They are not covered by AB 1482’s formula.

AB 1482 Step-by-Step Calculator: 5 Steps and 3 Dollar Examples

Here is the exact process I use when my team runs annual rent increase calculations for the Long Beach properties we manage. Follow each step in order.

1. Step 1: Verify the unit qualifies under AB 1482

   Use the coverage checklist above. If the unit was built before February 1, 1995, stop here and apply the Long Beach Rent Ordinance’s 3% cap instead. If it was built in 2010 or later, you are currently uncontrolled on rent (though just-cause eviction still applies after 12 months).

2. Step 2: Identify the correct CPI index for Long Beach

   Use the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA CPI from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For 2026 rent increases, the applicable figure is the 2025 annual CPI-All Items: 3.1% (BLS, 2025). Do not use the national CPI or any other metro area index.

3. Step 3: Calculate the maximum dollar increase for your unit

   Multiply the baseline rent by 8.1%. Use the lowest rent amount charged in the 12 months immediately before the increase takes effect, not the current stated rent. The three examples below show this math at common Long Beach rent levels.

4. Step 4: Determine the 12-month baseline rent

   AB 1482 requires you to use the lowest rent the tenant paid in the past 12 months, not the current amount. If you offered any discount, concession, or temporary reduction at any point in the prior year, that lower figure becomes your calculation starting point. This catches landlords who gave rent relief and then tried to calculate off the pre-discount rate.

5. Step 5: Serve proper 30-day written notice before the increase takes effect

   California Civil Code 827 requires written notice of a rent increase. For increases at or below 10%, the minimum notice period is 30 days. The notice must be in writing, state the new rent amount, and state the effective date. Verbal notice does not satisfy the requirement. I cover the exact notice process in detail in the section below.

Three Worked Dollar Examples at 8.1%

These are maximum ceilings, not recommended targets. In my experience, pushing to the absolute legal maximum every year is not always the right call from a retention standpoint. Our retention rate is 95% across the portfolio, and part of that is advising owners on the difference between what the law allows and what makes sense for a specific tenancy. A long-term tenant who has never missed a payment may justify a more conservative increase. A below-market situation where you need to close a significant gap may warrant using the full ceiling. That is the conversation I have with every owner before we execute an increase.

Long Beach 3-Tier Ordinance Comparison: Which Cap Applies to Your Building?

Long Beach is one of the more complex markets in SE LA County because three different legal regimes apply depending solely on your building’s construction date. Get the tier wrong and you are either over-charging tenants (legal exposure) or under-collecting rent (lost cash flow). Here is the full breakdown:

The Banking Mistake: Why You Cannot Stack AB 1482 Increases from Prior Years

This is the single most common compliance error I see among Long Beach landlords who manage their own properties. The logic sounds reasonable on the surface: “I only raised rent by 2% last year. The law allowed 8.1% this year. Can I raise it by 14% to catch up?” The answer is no, and the statute is unambiguous on this point.

AB 1482 sets a limit on how much you can raise rent in any single 12-month period. It does not create a cumulative bank of unused increases. Each year resets independently. If you charged less than the legal maximum in 2024, that unused capacity does not carry forward to 2025 or 2026. The clock starts fresh every calendar year with a new CPI figure and a new cap.

A related misconception: some landlords believe they can impose two separate increases in the same 12-month period as long as neither exceeds the cap individually. AB 1482 addresses this directly. You are limited to one increase per 12-month window. If you raise rent in March, you cannot raise it again until the following March at the earliest, and the combined effect over that 12-month period cannot exceed 8.1%.

There is also a question I get about retroactive applicability. AB 1482 applies to tenancies that were already active as of March 15, 2019. That means if you have a tenant who moved in before that date, the rent cap has applied to their unit since 2019 regardless of whether anyone told you about it. Rents charged above the cumulative AB 1482 ceiling in that time frame are a potential liability. This is a crucial, crucial issue for owners who acquired properties with legacy tenants and did not review compliance at acquisition.

How to Give Proper 30-Day Written Notice: 4 Required Elements

The rent increase calculation is only valid if the notice procedure is done correctly. California Civil Code 827 governs the notice requirement for rent increases. A defective notice can make the entire increase unenforceable, meaning the tenant can legally continue paying the old amount until a proper notice is served and the required period expires.

When my team handles rent increases for the Long Beach properties we manage, we generate the notice letter, document the calculation with the BLS CPI source, confirm the 12-month baseline rent from our records, and log everything in the tenant file. The $55 inspection fee we charge is separate from this compliance work, which is included in property management. The goal is that if a tenant ever disputes a rent increase, we have a complete paper trail that shows the math, the statute, and the delivery method.

AB 1482 vs. the Long Beach Rent Ordinance: Pre-1995 Multi-Family Properties

If you own a multi-family rental building in Long Beach that was constructed before February 1, 1995, you are subject to the Long Beach Rent Ordinance (LBMC 8.99) rather than AB 1482. This is a stricter local ordinance, and the annual increase cap is 3% per year regardless of CPI. That is a significant difference from the 8.1% ceiling available to landlords of 1995-2009 buildings under AB 1482.

The practical implications are real. At a $2,400/month baseline, the Long Beach Rent Ordinance limits your increase to $72/month, bringing the new rent to $2,472. Under AB 1482, that same baseline could support a $194.40 increase to $2,594.40. The older the building and the longer the tenancy, the more this gap compounds over time. Many pre-1995 Long Beach buildings have rents that are 20% to 40% below market because of this cumulative cap.

There are also administrative differences. The Long Beach Rent Ordinance is administered by the City of Long Beach’s Department of Development Services, which maintains a registry of covered units. Covered buildings must register with the city. Failure to maintain current registration can complicate the enforcement of rent increases and evictions. AB 1482, by contrast, is administered statewide through Civil Code and does not have a separate city registry requirement.

One important note on just-cause eviction: both the Long Beach Rent Ordinance and AB 1482 impose just-cause eviction requirements. For LBMC 8.99 buildings, just-cause applies regardless of tenancy length. For AB 1482 buildings, just-cause kicks in after 12 months of occupancy. In either case, you cannot remove a covered tenant simply to re-rent at a higher rate to a new occupant.

How RPM Southland Tracks and Implements Annual Rent Increases for Long Beach Landlords

One of the most tangible reasons Long Beach landlords hire us is that we take the annual rent compliance process completely off their plate. Here is exactly how we handle it:

• Annual CPI review in January. Each January, my team pulls the updated BLS CPI figure for the LA-Long Beach-Anaheim MSA and sets the compliance calendar for the year. Every covered property gets a flag showing which ordinance applies, what the current cap is, and when each tenancy’s increase window opens.
• 12-month baseline audit. Before generating any notice, we audit the tenant’s payment history for the prior 12 months to confirm the correct baseline. If any discount or temporary reduction was offered, that factors into the calculation.
• Owner advisory call. I call every owner before executing an increase to discuss the recommended amount. The law allows 8.1% for 2026, but the right move for a given tenancy may be different. We talk through retention risk, below-market gap, and unit condition before making a recommendation.
• Notice generation and delivery. We draft the notice with the exact statutory language, specify the new rent amount and effective date, and deliver it with documentation of the delivery method. Everything goes into the tenant file.
• Tenant file logging. The notice, the calculation with CPI citation, and the delivery confirmation are all logged. If a tenant disputes the increase six months later, we can produce the complete documentation in minutes.

Our management fee is 5.9% to 8.9% depending on the package (basic, premium, or all-inclusive) for single-family homes and condos. For portfolios of 10 units or more, we charge a flat 4.9%. The $399 leasing fee and $55 inspection fee are the only additional charges. Annual rent increase management is included in all tiers.

We currently have over 800 five-star reviews and a 4.8-star rating on Google, and a 98% recommendation rate on Facebook. Our three guarantees are also relevant for Long Beach landlords thinking about switching managers: a 6-month tenant replacement guarantee, a 29-day fill guarantee, and a 60-day satisfaction guarantee if you are not happy after onboarding.

“Playing the long game in Long Beach means getting the compliance work right every year, not just when there is a problem. An 8.1% increase that goes out with a defective notice or uses the wrong baseline can create more trouble than it is worth. We do this work thousands of times a year across the portfolio. The landlords who sleep at night are the ones who do not try to manage this stuff alone.”
Miles Williams, Broker/Owner, Real Property Management Southland

4 Common AB 1482 Mistakes Long Beach Landlords Make (and What They Cost)

After managing Long Beach properties for years, I see the same compliance errors repeat across owners of all experience levels. Here are the four that create the most exposure:

Frequently Asked Questions About AB 1482 in Long Beach