Lancaster, CA Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Lancaster, CA, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Annual cap floor
- 2.5% minimum increase
- Annual cap ceiling
- 3% maximum increase
- CPI benchmark
- June LA-area CPI
- Registration deadline
- 60 days, quarterly updates
- Scope
- Mobile home parks only
- First administrative fine
- $500 per month
Summary
Lancaster caps annual rent increases in mobile home parks under Municipal Code Section 11.08.060, tying the raise to the Los Angeles-area Consumer Price Index with a floor of 2.5 percent and a ceiling of 3 percent. The ordinance applies only to mobile home space rent; conventional apartment rentals in Lancaster fall under the state Tenant Protection Act instead.
Beginning in 1993, and each year thereafter, the annual rental increase to be effective for the annual period commencing October 1 of each year which may be implemented by park owners pursuant to this section shall be established automatically. The annual rental increase shall be based on the June, All Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers, Los Angeles Area as provided by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics for the preceding twelve-month period. The annual rental increase shall be a minimum increase of 2.5 percent, when CPI is below 2.5 percent; or, actual CPI-based increase, when CPI is between 2.5 percent and 3 percent; or, and a maximum increase of 3 percent, when CPI is above 3 percent, for the preceding twelve-month period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10 - 2025).
Full Breakdown
Lancaster adopted mobile home park rent stabilization to protect homeowners from unreasonable rent increases while still giving park owners a just and reasonable return on their investment (Sec. 010). The chapter exempts spaces under leases longer than 12 months where the homeowner uses the space as a primary residence, spaces first rented after January 1, 1990, and most recreational vehicles and commercial coaches (Sec. 030). Every park owner must register each park and space with the city within 60 days of the chapter's effective date and file quarterly updates listing ownership, rent schedules, other charges and lease terms; a park owner who falls behind on quarterly filings cannot take the annual increase or petition for more (Sec.
050). The automatic annual increase, tied to the June Los Angeles-area CPI, can be taken once per annual period beginning October 1 (Sec. 060). Beyond that automatic increase, a park owner can petition the director of housing and community revitalization for a "permissive rental adjustment," supported by factors such as capital improvements, tax changes and comparable area rents, decided at a hearing within 60 days of a complete application (Sec. 070). Homeowners have a mirror-image remedy: a majority of homeowners in a park can petition to block that year's automatic increase, and the director presumes the adjustment is warranted unless the park owner rebuts it (Sec. 080).
Violations & Fines
A park owner who demands or accepts rent in violation of the chapter is liable in a civil action for the homeowner's attorney fees plus $500 or triple the excess rent collected, whichever is greater, and commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 and six months in county jail (Sec. 11.08.130). The city can also issue administrative citations of $500 per month for a first violation and $1,500 per month for later violations, and these remedies are cumulative with any other civil or criminal action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lancaster have rent control for apartments?
How much can a Lancaster mobile home park raise my rent each year?
Can a park owner ask for more than the automatic increase?
What can homeowners do if they think an increase is unfair?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster
California rules heatmap·Compare Lancaster to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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Rent Control in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle rent control.