San Rafael, CA Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in San Rafael, CA, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Trigger
- >5% rent increase in 12 months
- Remedy
- Mandatory mediation, not a rent cap
- Effect
- Increase delayed pending mediation
- State overlay
- AB 1482 caps apply separately
Summary
San Rafael does not cap rent increases for conventional housing but requires mandatory mediation whenever a landlord raises rent more than 5 percent in 12 months.
Tenant-initiated Mediation. A tenant residing in a dwelling unit may file a request and receive mediation services within either thirty (30) calendar days from the enactment of this chapter or ten (10) calendar days of the tenant's receipt of one (1) or more notices in accordance with California Civil Code section 827 that individually or cumulatively increase rent more than five (5) percent within any twelve-month period.B.Landlord-requested Mediation. Any landlord may file a request and receive mediation services in order to pursue a rent increase greater than five (5) percent within any twelve-month period. (Ord. No. 1971, div. 2, 6-17-2019)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
SRMC Chapter 10.100 creates a rent-mediation program for the City of San Rafael, not a rent cap: a tenant or landlord may request city-arranged mediation whenever a noticed increase individually or cumulatively exceeds five percent within any twelve-month period. A tenant's timely mediation request delays that increase's effective date until mediation concludes or 30 days pass. Conventional rent caps in California run through state law, Civil Code Section 1947.12 (AB 1482), which Costa-Hawkins otherwise limits cities from imposing locally; San Rafael's ordinance supplements but does not override those state protections.
Violations & Fines
A landlord who imposes a qualifying increase without participating in mediation in good faith cannot make that increase effective, per Section 10.100.050(D)(2)(a), until compliance is shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Rafael cap how much a landlord can raise rent?
What happens if I request mediation over a rent increase in San Rafael?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Rafael
California rules heatmap·Compare San Rafael to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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