Landlord laws
Rent Control Laws by State (2026)
Which states cap rent increases, which ones let cities pass rent control, and which ones ban it, for 49 states and D.C. Each row links the statute and our full state page.
Beginner tip: "rent control" usually means a legal limit on how much or how often you can raise the rent. It's separate from the notice you must give before an increase.
General info, not legal advice. Verify the statute or ask a local attorney. Details
The short answer
Only a few places cap rent increases statewide: California, Oregon and Washington, plus rent stabilization in D.C. In 5 more (Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey and New York) local rent rules exist or are allowed.
23 states have a statute that bans cities and counties from passing rent control, including Florida, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois and Ohio. The other 18 have no statute either way. Every row comes from our state landlord-law page, which cites the official statute. On Nov 10, 2026 we re-checked the official text for 18 states, marked in the table.
Rent control by state
| State | Rent control status |
|---|---|
| Alabama Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1 · From our state page | Preempted. No county or city may control rent on private property. Banned locally |
| Alaska Alaska Dept. of Law handbook (2024), p. 21 · From our state page | No statewide rent control. Without a lease, rent can go up by any amount with proper notice. No statute either way |
| Arizona A.R.S. § 33-1329 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Cities and towns may not control rents on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Arkansas Ark. Code § 14-16-601 · From our state page | Preempted. Local governments may not control rent, application fees or deposits. Banned locally |
| California Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12(a), (d), (o) · From our state page | Statewide cap: 5% plus local inflation or 10%, whichever is lower, in any 12 months, with exemptions. Stricter city rules still apply. Expires Jan. 1, 2030. Statewide cap |
| Colorado C.R.S. 38-12-301 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Counties and cities may not enact rent control on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148b · From our state page | No state cap. Towns with 25,000+ people must have or join a fair rent commission that hears excessive-rent complaints. Local rules allowed |
| Delaware 25 Del. C. § 5101 et seq. · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant code doesn't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| District of Columbia D.C. Code §§ 42-3502.06(b), 42-3502.08(h) · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Rent stabilization for covered units: inflation plus 2%, capped at 10%, generally once a year. Many exemptions. Statewide cap |
| Florida Fla. Stat. §§ 125.0103(2), 166.043, 83.425 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Counties and cities may not adopt or keep any measure that controls rents. Banned locally |
| Georgia O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19 · From our state page | Preempted. Counties and cities may not regulate rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Hawaii HRS § 521-21(a) · From our state page | No rent cap in the landlord-tenant code. Rent is what the parties agree to. No statute either way |
| Idaho Idaho Code § 55-306 · From our state page | Preempted. Local governments may not regulate rent, fees or deposits on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Illinois 50 ILCS 825/5 · From our state page | Preempted. Cities and counties may not enact rent control on private property. Banned locally |
| Indiana IC 32-31-1-20 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Local units may not regulate rents on private property unless the legislature allows it. Banned locally |
| Iowa Iowa Code § 364.3(9) · From our state page | Preempted. A city may not limit rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Kansas K.S.A. 12-16,120 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. No local government may enact rent control on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Kentucky KRS 383.198 · From our state page | No statute imposes or expressly bans rent control. Local landlord-tenant rules can't conflict with state law. No statute either way |
| Louisiana La. R.S. 9:3258 · From our state page | No statute mentions rent control. A statute protects lessors' rights, but whether it bars local rent control is unsettled. No statute either way |
| Maine 14 M.R.S. ch. 710 · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and no state statute bans local limits. Check municipal ordinances. No statute either way |
| Maryland Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-209(c) · From our state page | No statewide rent control. State law lets local laws give tenants more protection, so check your county or city. Local rules allowed |
| Massachusetts M.G.L. c. 40P, §§ 3–4 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Banned, except a narrow voluntary, compensated program in towns that accept it, which can't apply to owners of fewer than 10 units. Banned locally |
| Michigan MCL 123.411 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Local governments may not enact rent control on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Minnesota Minn. Stat. § 471.9996 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Local rent control only if voters approve it at a general election. Some cities have, such as St. Paul. Local rules allowed |
| Mississippi Miss. Code §§ 89-8-1 to 89-8-45 · From our state page | No statewide rent control. Check local rules. No statute either way |
| Missouri RSMo § 441.043 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. No county or city may regulate rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Montana MCA 7-1-111(26) · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Local governments may not control rent on private property. Banned locally |
| Nebraska Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449 · From our state page | No statute imposes or bans rent control. No statute either way |
| Nevada NRS ch. 118A · From our state page | No statute imposes or bans rent control. No state cap. No statute either way |
| New Hampshire RSA ch. 540, 540-A · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant chapters don't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| New Jersey N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.3 · From our state page | No statewide cap. Many towns have rent-control or rent-leveling ordinances. New buildings can be exempt for up to 30 years. Local rules allowed |
| New Mexico NMSA 1978 ch. 47 · From our state page | No statute imposes or bans rent control. No state cap. No statute either way |
| New York Emergency Tenant Protection Act; NYC Rent Stabilization Law (per NY AG guide) · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Rent control and rent stabilization cover many units in New York City and parts of some other counties. Unregulated units have no state cap. Local rules allowed |
| North Carolina N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14.1 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Counties and cities may not regulate rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| North Dakota N.D.C.C. § 47-16-02.1 · From our state page | Preempted. Local governments may not control rent on private property. Banned locally |
| Ohio Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.19, 5321.20 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Cities may not impose rent control or rent stabilization on private housing. Banned locally |
| Oklahoma 11 O.S. § 14-101.1 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. Cities may not regulate rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Oregon ORS 91.225; ORS 90.323 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Statewide cap: the lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI per year for most tenancies. Cities and counties may not add their own rent control. Statewide cap |
| Pennsylvania 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the Landlord and Tenant Act doesn't address local limits. No statute either way |
| Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws ch. 34-18 · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant chapter doesn't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| South Carolina S.C. Code § 27-39-60 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Preempted. No county or city may regulate rent on private residential property. Banned locally |
| South Dakota SDCL ch. 43-32 · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant chapter doesn't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| Texas Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 214.902 · From our state page | Cities may not adopt rent control, except in a declared disaster housing emergency with the governor's approval. Banned locally |
| Utah Utah Code § 57-20-1 · From our state page | Preempted. No local government may control rents or fees on private residential property. Banned locally |
| Vermont 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant chapter doesn't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| Virginia Va. Code § 55.1-1201(A) · From our state page | No statewide rent control. The landlord-tenant act applies uniformly statewide. No statute either way |
| Washington RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710, 35.21.830 · Re-checked Nov 10, 2026 | Statewide cap through July 1, 2040: 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, per 12 months, and no increase in the first 12 months. Cities may not add rent control. Statewide cap |
| West Virginia W. Va. Code art. 37-6 · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant articles don't ban local limits. No statute either way |
| Wisconsin Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 · From our state page | Preempted. No local government may regulate rents or fees for residential rental units. Banned locally |
| Wyoming Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1201 et seq. · From our state page | No statewide rent control, and the landlord-tenant statutes don't ban local limits. No statute either way |
Tennessee is not listed. Our Tennessee page is still being verified, so check Tennessee's official code before you act. "No statute either way" means the state's landlord-tenant law doesn't address it. Whether a city can pass rent control there can depend on other laws and court cases, so check locally.
The statewide caps, side by side
| Place | Yearly limit | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| California | 5% plus local inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower | Buildings with a certificate of occupancy from the last 15 years are exempt, and so are some single-family homes and condos if the tenant gets a written notice. Ends Jan. 1, 2030. |
| Oregon | The lesser of 10% or 7% plus CPI | The state publishes the yearly figure. Cities and counties can't add their own rent control. |
| Washington | 7% plus CPI, or 10%, whichever is less | No increase in the first 12 months. Commerce publishes the yearly figure. Runs through July 1, 2040. |
| D.C. | Inflation adjustment plus 2%, capped at 10% | Covered units only. Lower caps for elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities. Check the Rental Housing Commission's current figure. |
Each cap has exemptions and a CPI figure that changes yearly, so we don't list this year's percentage. Use the official source linked in the state row.
Before you raise the rent
- Check your city and county, not just the state. Local rules are where most rent limits live.
- Check whether the unit is regulated or exempt (age of the building, owner type, subsidy).
- Give the written notice your state requires. See rent increase notice by state.
- Run the numbers with the rent increase calculator before you send it.
Related tools and pages
Rent increase calculator · Landlord laws by state · Rent increase notice by state · Security deposit interest by state · Eviction notice periods by state · Free rent comps
General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the official source and talk to a licensed attorney before acting.
General information only. Not legal advice. RentToolkit is not a law firm. Laws and local ordinances change, so check the official source and talk to a licensed Florida attorney before acting.