If the tenant is renting on a month-to-month basis in a city with no rent control, the rent can be raised at any time to any amount with the proper notice. If the tenant has a lease for more than 30 days, the rent cannot be raised during the term of the lease, unless the lease allows rent increases.
If the increase will amount to 10% or less than the current rent, the landlord must give 30-day written notice. This increase is not effective until the 30 days has passed and is not retroactive.
If the increase will amount to over 10% of the current annual rent, the landlord must give 60-day written notice. This increase is not effective until the 60 days have passed and it is not retroactive. When the total of all rent increases in the past 12 months is more than 10% of the rent charged at any time during that period, the tenant must also receive 60 days written notice.
The only city in San Mateo County to have a rent control ordinance at this time is East Palo Alto. This rent control ordinance applies to landlords who own 5 or more rental units in East Palo Alto. The landlord can only raise the rent once a year by the amount allowed by the East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Board. If the rental is covered by a rent control ordinance in another county, check with the local government to determine how much and when the rent can be raised.
Department of Consumer Affairs: California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook or Download the guide (PDF)
Nolo Press Law Center - Landlords & Tenants
www.nolo.com/encyclopedia/lt_ency.htmlLegal Aid Society of San Mateo County's PDF guides: Rent Increases
Landlord and Tenant Information and Referral Collaborative Landlord and Tenant Rights, Responsibilities, and Resources, in San Mateo County (PDF)
Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, www.legalaidsmc.org
800-381-8898La Raza Centro Legal, South San Francisco Only , www.lrcl.org
866-4-LARAZA (toll free)Bay Area Legal Aid, San Mateo County Regional Office, www.baylegal.org
650-358-0745Stanford Community Law Clinic, www.law.stanford.edu/clinics/sclc
650-475-0560Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, www.clsepa.org
650-326-6440
THESE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES TO TENANTS AND LANDLORDS:
Northern California Senior Legal Hotline, www.seniorlegalhotline.org
800-222-1753Lawyer Referral Service, San Mateo County Bar Association - For a nominal fee, the staff arranges an appointment with an attorney, www.smcba.org/community/lrs.htm
650-369-4149Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center, www.pcrcweb.org
650-513-0330East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Program - For residents of East Palo Alto
2200 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, CA 94303
650-853-3114