Sonoma County, CA Rental Property Rules: Rent Control (2026)
Rent control rules in Sonoma County, CA, also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances, limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
Key Facts
- Local Rent Cap
- None: state law only
- Governing Law
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 (AB 1482)
- Annual Cap
- 5% + regional CPI, max 10%
- CPI Region
- San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward MSA
- 2025–26 Cap
- 7.7%
- Sunset Date
- January 1, 2030
Summary
Unincorporated Sonoma County does NOT have a local rent control ordinance. The 2024 Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance (Ord. 6496) added eviction protections but did not adopt a local rent cap. The only annual rent-increase cap covering most Sonoma County tenants is California's statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), codified at Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12, which limits increases to 5% + the regional CPI, with a 10% hard ceiling.
(a) (1) Subject to subdivision (b), an owner of residential real property shall not, over the course of any 12-month period, increase the gross rental rate for a dwelling or a unit more than 5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower, of the lowest gross rental rate charged for that dwelling or unit at any time during the 12 months prior to the effective date of the increase. In determining the lowest gross rental amount pursuant to this section, any rent discounts, incentives, concessions, or credits offered by the owner of such unit of residential real property and accepted by the tenant shall be excluded.
Full Breakdown
Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 caps annual rent increases at 5% plus the percentage change in the cost of living for the property's region, or 10% total, whichever is lower, measured over any 12-month period, and no more than two increment events are allowed within that window. Sonoma County uses the San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward CPI region for AB 1482 purposes; for the August 1, 2025 through July 31, 2026 period the regional cap totals 7.7%, and the prior August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2025 cap was 8.8%. Exemptions under § 1947.12(d) include: housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years; deed-restricted affordable housing; dormitories; single-family homes and condominiums owned by a non-corporate, non-REIT, non-LLC-with-corporate-member owner who provides the required AB 1482 disclosure; and owner-occupied duplexes. AB 1482 is operative through January 1, 2030 (§ 1947.12(j)). Sonoma County does not maintain a rent board; disputes are resolved in small claims court or via tenant legal aid.
Violations & Fines
AB 1482 has no Sonoma County administrative enforcement. A tenant charged an unlawful increase may sue in small claims for restitution under § 1947.12(h), recover the unlawful overage, and raise an affirmative defense in any unlawful detainer based on the excess rent. The 2024 Ord. 6496 separately makes failure to provide required termination/AB-1482 disclosures actionable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sonoma County have rent control?
How much can my landlord raise rent in Sonoma County right now?
Who enforces AB 1482 in Sonoma County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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