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Oakland, California

Oakland Landlord-Tenant Laws

Security deposit limits, eviction notices, rent control, and more for Oakland, California.

How we research these summaries

Every rule on this page is drawn from state statutes and municipal codes and summarized with AI assistance. Each one cites the statute it's based on and links to a published text of that law so you can read it firsthand. Where a page says a city or county has no local rule on a topic, that means none was found for the topics covered here — not that none exists. Local governments also regulate rental housing in ways these pages don't track, including registration, licensing, inspections and habitability standards. These summaries may be incomplete or out of date, laws change often, and every property and tenancy has specifics a summary can't capture — so treat this as a starting point for your own research, not as legal advice, and check with the local jurisdiction and a qualified attorney before acting on your particular situation.

What to Know in Oakland

Sources last checked July 2026

Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program caps annual increases on covered units at 2.3% for August 2026 through July 2027, set at 60% of CPI or 3%, whichever is lower; coverage turns on exemptions rather than unit count, and the owner-occupied duplex or triplex exemption was eliminated in 2019, so a two- or three-unit building built before 1983 is covered even where the owner lives in one unit. Eviction requires one of ten enumerated just-cause grounds, with no-fault relocation assistance set on a flat per-unit-size schedule.

  • Oakland requires just cause to evict from a covered unit, and the ordinance enumerates ten grounds: nonpayment of rent, breach of the lease, damage to the property, disturbing...
  • Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program limits the annual rent increase for covered units to 2.3% for the year running August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027.
  • Security deposits capped at 1 month's rent
  • 30-day advance written notice required for rent increases
  • 30-day move-out notice required for month-to-month tenancies
5 rules summarized · Each linked to the law it cites

Oakland Local Rules

Eviction Notice Requirements

What are the eviction notice requirements in Oakland?

Oakland requires just cause to evict from a covered unit, and the ordinance enumerates ten grounds: nonpayment of rent, breach of the lease, damage to the property, disturbing other tenants, illegal use of the unit, refusing the landlord lawful access, the owner moving in, a family member moving in, withdrawal from the rental market under the Ellis Act, and capital improvement or substantial repair work. Where the ground is no fault of the tenant, relocation assistance is owed under the city's Uniform Relocation Ordinance — a flat schedule set by unit size and adjusted each July, with half payable when notice is served and the balance when the tenant vacates, plus a supplemental payment for vulnerable households. No-fault evictions are also restricted during the Oakland Unified School District school year where the household includes an enrolled child or a district employee.

Oakland Municipal Code ch. 8.22 (Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance)
Rent Control / Rent Increase Caps

Is there rent control in Oakland?

Oakland's Rent Adjustment Program limits the annual rent increase for covered units to 2.3% for the year running August 1, 2026 through July 31, 2027. The figure is set each year at 60% of the change in the Consumer Price Index, or 3%, whichever is lower. Coverage does not depend on how many units a building has: a unit is covered unless it falls into one of the enumerated exemptions — a certificate of occupancy issued after January 1, 1983, a rent subsidised by a government programme such as Section 8, or exemption under California's Costa-Hawkins Act, which is what removes genuine single-family homes and condominiums. Owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes were once exempt, but that exemption was eliminated in 2019 — so a two- or three-unit building built before 1983 is covered today even where the owner lives in one of the units.

Oakland Municipal Code ch. 8.22 (Rent Adjustment Program)

Applicable California State Rules

These state-level rules apply in Oakland where no local override exists.

Security Deposit Limits State Law

What is the security deposit limit in Oakland?

Effective July 1, 2024, landlords may not demand or receive a security deposit exceeding 1 month's rent for residential units, regardless of whether furnished or unfurnished. All deposits (pet, cleaning, last month's rent) count toward this cap. Exception: small landlords who are natural persons or LLCs with all natural-person members owning no more than 2 residential rental properties with a combined total of 4 or fewer units may collect up to 2 months' rent. The exception does not apply if the tenant is a military service member.

California Civil Code § 1950.5 (as amended by AB 12, Stats. 2023, Ch. 659)
Rent Increase Notice Periods State Law

How much notice is required for rent increases in Oakland?

Landlords must provide written notice before raising rent on a month-to-month tenancy. A minimum 30 days' written notice is required when the increase is 10% or less of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months. A minimum 90 days' written notice is required when the increase exceeds 10% of the lowest rent charged in the preceding 12 months, either individually or cumulatively with prior increases over that period.

California Civil Code § 827
Move-Out & Lease Termination Notice State Law

What is the move-out notice requirement in Oakland?

For month-to-month tenancies, tenants must provide at least 30 days' written notice to terminate. Any lease clause requiring more than 30 days' notice from the tenant is void under Civil Code § 1953. Landlords must provide 30 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for less than 1 year, or 60 days' notice if the tenant has resided in the unit for 1 year or more. These are minimum termination notice requirements; separately, just cause eviction requirements under AB 1482 may apply for tenants with 12+ months of occupancy.

California Civil Code §§ 1946, 1946.1

Other California Cities & Counties

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