Guides
Rent Increase Notice Laws by State: Selected Examples
Rent increase notice laws by state vary by tenancy. This overview uses selected examples to explain notice timing, statewide caps, and local filings.
What to take away
- Rent increase notice laws by state set the minimum written notice before an increase takes effect. California and Oregon also cap annual increases statewide.
- Notice sent by mail adds days to the clock in states that allow mailed service.
- Five states, among them Washington, Colorado, Delaware, Maryland and Vermont, require 60 days for month-to-month tenancies.
- A notice must state the new rent and the effective date; local rent boards may also require a filing before the notice is served.
- Missing the notice deadline makes the increase unenforceable until a corrected written notice has run the full statutory period.
- City rent stabilization in New York City and Saint Paul can reduce the allowed increase below the state cap.
Rent increase notice laws by state set the minimum written notice a landlord must give before any increase takes effect. State law sets the clock, and a landlord cannot shorten a tenant's statutory warning period.
The minimum runs from 10 days in Louisiana to 90 days in Oregon. California splits its notice by the size of the increase. Oregon and California also cap how much rent can rise each year.
A notice that omits the new rent or the effective date may be defective. The clock restarts when a corrected notice is served.
Most states use 30 days for month-to-month rent increases, but the rule changes for long tenancies and large percentage increases. The table below gives selected examples, not a complete state-by-state inventory. A rent increase notice must state the new rent and effective date; the Cornell legal definition of rent gives the general legal meaning of the term.
Selected state notice examples
| State | Minimum written notice | Applies to | Statewide rent cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Alaska | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Arizona | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Arkansas | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| California | 30 days for an increase of 10% or less (Cal. Civ. Code 827(b)); 90 days for more than 10% | All tenancies | Yes, 5% plus CPI change, capped at 10% |
| Colorado | 60 days for month-to-month tenancies (Colo. Rev. Stat. 38-12-701); 21 days for week-to-week | Month-to-month and week-to-week | None |
| Connecticut | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Delaware | 60 days | Month-to-month | None |
| District of Columbia | 30 days; 90 days for tenants 62 or older or with a disability | All tenancies | Yes, DC rent control covers most units in buildings built before 1976 |
| Florida | 30 days | Month-to-month | None, and a 2023 state law blocks local rent control |
| Georgia | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Hawaii | 45 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Idaho | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Illinois | 30 days; Chicago also requires 30 days for month-to-month units | Month-to-month | None statewide; Chicago and Cook County set their own rules |
| Indiana | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Iowa | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Kansas | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Kentucky | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Louisiana | 10 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Maine | 45 days | Month-to-month | None statewide; Portland caps increases for covered units |
| Maryland | 60 days | Month-to-month | None statewide; Montgomery County caps increases for covered buildings |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | Month-to-month | None statewide |
| Michigan | 30 days, one rental period | Month-to-month | None |
| Minnesota | One rental period plus a day, about 31 days | Month-to-month | None statewide; Saint Paul caps most covered units |
| Mississippi | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Missouri | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Montana | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| New Jersey | 30 days, unless municipal rent control applies | Month-to-month | None statewide, but many municipalities cap increases |
| New Mexico | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| New York | 30 days, unless rent stabilized; New York Real Property Law 226-c requires 30, 60 or 90 days for increases above 5 percent, based on tenancy length | All tenancies | None statewide, but New York City rent stabilization applies |
| Ohio | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Oklahoma | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Oregon | 90 days after the first year of occupancy (ORS 90.600) | Month-to-month | Yes, 7% plus CPI change, capped at 10% |
| Rhode Island | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Tennessee | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Texas | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Utah | 15 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Vermont | 60 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Virginia | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Washington | 60 days (RCW 59.18.140) | All tenancies | None, though a 2025 state law adds a 7% plus CPI cap, maximum 10%, from May 2026 |
| West Virginia | 30 days | Month-to-month | None |
| Wisconsin | 28 days (Wis. Stat. 704.19) | Month-to-month | None, and state law bars local rent control |
Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wyoming are mentioned here without state-specific notice periods or rent caps. The lease or applicable month-to-month termination rule may govern; do not assume the 30-day common baseline applies without checking the controlling law.
Rows marked month-to-month reflect the notice rule for periodic tenancies, and a fixed-term lease sets rent for its term unless the lease allows an increase.
Notice is served by personal delivery or by mail unless the lease says otherwise. California adds five days when the notice is mailed within the state (Cal. Civ. Code 1013).
California's two-tier notice illustrates how percentage size changes the required days. A 10 percent increase needs 30 days, but an 11 percent increase needs 90 days. The same principle appears in local rent stabilization rules that require longer notice for increases above a board-approved amount.
State Notice Minimums
State
- Alabama
- 30 days
- California
- 30 days ≤10%; 90 days >10%
- Oregon
- 90 days after first year
- Washington
- 60 days
- New York
- 30 days, unless stabilized
- New Jersey
- 30 days, unless municipal control
Minimum written notice
- Alabama
- None
- California
- 5% plus CPI, max 10%
- Oregon
- 7% plus CPI, max 10%
- Washington
- None
- New York
- NYC stabilization applies
- New Jersey
- Many municipalities cap
Statewide rent cap
- Alabama
- California
- Oregon
- Washington
- New York
- New Jersey
A landlord considering a large increase at lease renewal should weigh retention costs against re-leasing, a comparison covered in Lease Renewal vs New Tenant.
Statewide rent caps discussed here
California's Tenant Protection Act caps annual increases at 5 percent plus the regional consumer price index, with an absolute cap of 10 percent. Oregon caps annual increases at 7 percent plus the regional consumer price index, also not to exceed 10 percent.
Both states exempt newer buildings from the cap. California also exempts many single-family homes and condominiums.
Statewide caps in California and Oregon are the exception to the general rule that most states leave rent level regulation to cities, as the Cornell rent control overview explains.
Municipal and private rules that sit on top
City rent stabilization adds a second layer to state notice law. In New York City, rent stabilized units face Rent Guidelines Board percentage adjustments and DHCR registration requirements. Portland, Maine and Montgomery County, Maryland cap increases for covered buildings.
Saint Paul, Minnesota and Portland, Oregon require landlords to file rent increase notices with the city before serving tenants. Registration before a notice is valid is a common local requirement, and the Wikipedia rent regulation summary collects these rules as a starting point, not a primary source.
Private rules also apply. Condominium and homeowners associations may require a notice period longer than the state floor, and a master lease or financing agreement may condition rent increases on lender approval. A landlord must check both the state statute and the governing documents.
What to submit to a rent board
Before serving a notice in a city with rent stabilization, assemble the filing packet. A typical filing includes:
- A copy of the notice you plan to serve, showing the current rent, the new rent and the effective date.
- The rent calculation, with the percentage increase and the board's allowed figure.
- The registration number for the unit, or the rent registration statement the board requires.
- Proof of service, such as a signed declaration of mailing or of personal delivery.
Rent Board Filing Packet
- Current rent roll with last rent and lease start
- Tenant's legal name and unit address
- Proposed increase calculation using city formula
- Proof of prior notice or exemption
A rent board typically rejects a filing with an incomplete calculation. The landlord then serves a new notice only after the board accepts the filing, because the state notice period starts on service to the tenant, not on filing.
What happens if you skip notice
Non-compliance has a concrete consequence. If a landlord serves a 30-day notice in Oregon when 90 days is required, the increase is not due until 90 days after a corrected written notice reaches the tenant.
A court may also award the tenant damages and attorney fees in rent control jurisdictions that treat a short notice as an unlawful rent increase.
Timing errors compound when the rent due date falls before the notice period ends. The Grace Period for Rent explains how late fees interact with state payment windows.
In California, a tenant who receives a defective notice can refuse the increase and recover the excess rent paid if the landlord collected it. The local rent board may also order a rollback to the previous rent.
When a tenant moves out because of an increase, a documented move-out inspection matters. The Landlord Move-Out Inspections guide lists what to photograph.
For a cross-border comparison, Rent increase rules across Canada shows how provincial guidelines differ from US state notice rules.
