Baldwin Park Caps Rent Increases at 3.7%: What the City's Ordinance Covers

The short answer

Baldwin Park has its own rent law, in Chapter 117 of the city code. It has two rules:

• The rent cap limits how much you can raise the rent each year. Right now it's 3.7%.
• The eviction rule means you need a reason the law allows to end a tenancy.

The rent cap reaches only older apartment buildings and some duplexes. The eviction rule covers at least those same units. Whether it reaches other rentals is unclear.

Find your rental in the table. Each row has its own section below.

"Unclear" means the city code can be read either way, and the city hasn't said on its own site. See "Which rentals the eviction rule covers" below.

If you can't tell which row fits, ask the city's rent stabilization program, listed below.

A house, condo, or townhome

A home that can be sold by itself is exempt from the city rent cap. Whether the city's eviction rule applies is unclear.

The city's test is "any home that can be sold independently from another property." That covers a house, a condo, or a townhome. It doesn't cover a unit in an apartment building.

The state's rent cap, AB-1482, may still apply. A house or condo skips the state rules only if it passes three tests. One test is that it can be sold by itself. A house with an ADU on the lot fails that test. An ADU is a backyard or accessory unit. The AB-1482 recap explains all three.

If you have an ADU on the lot, ask the city how its own test applies to your property.

If you rent a house, condo, or townhome: your rent isn't capped by the city. Ask the city whether its eviction rule covers you.

A duplex

A duplex where the owner lives in one unit is exempt from the city rent cap. Whether the city's eviction rule applies is unclear.

If the owner lives elsewhere and the building is from before January 1, 1995, the rent cap applies. The eviction rule applies too.

If you rent half of a duplex: ask whether the owner lives in the other unit. That decides whether the city rent cap reaches you.

Apartments

An apartment built before January 1, 1995 falls under the rent cap. The eviction rule applies too.

A building from 1995 or later is exempt from the city rent cap. Whether the city's eviction rule applies is unclear.

The state cap may still reach a building from 1995 or later. The state skips buildings whose certificate of occupancy is less than 15 years old. See the AB-1482 recap.

The city also exempts these from the rent cap:

• mobile homes set up before 1990, unless leased for 12 months or more
• hotel or motel stays under 30 days
• hospitals, nursing homes, convents, and college dorms
• government-run or subsidized housing, including affordable and Section 8 units, but only where state or federal law exempts it
• nonprofit childcare and social-service use

Which rentals the eviction rule covers

Under state law, the eviction rule starts after 12 months. Baldwin Park's rule sets no minimum time in the unit.

The only code text this piece could read is a third-party copy. Its § 117.08(A) opens by saying the rule "will apply to all rental units in the City of Baldwin Park."

The next sentence bans ending a tenancy without a listed reason. But it names a "controlled rental unit," which the code defines as a unit under the rent cap. So the rule clearly covers those units. For other rentals, it's unclear.

The city's own website doesn't address this. If your tenancy depends on it, ask the city's rent stabilization program.

How the rent cap is set

The cap is the smaller of 5% or the yearly rise in CPI-U. CPI-U is a federal inflation measure for the Los Angeles area.

The city measures it from April to April. A new cap takes effect each August 1.

The current cap is 3.7%, effective August 1, 2026.

On a $2,400 monthly rent, that's about $89 a month.

If inflation is under 1%, you can still raise rent by 1%. Check the city's page for the current rate before you rely on it.

Posting and registration

Before any increase, you must post the maximum allowable rent in a prominent place at the property.

A landlord who doesn't post gets seven days to fix it. After that, the fine is $250 a day, per the city's Q&A.

You must also file the city's rent registration form for each covered unit every year. It's due by the last day of March.

If you rent: look for the posted maximum rent at your building. If it's missing, the city's program can tell you what applies.

What the ordinance is

Baldwin Park adopted Ordinance No. 1447 in 2020.

The latest amendment, Ord. 1522, named which month's inflation figure sets the cap. The city's Q&A says it added no new exemptions.

The ordinance sits on top of state law. The single-family guide shows how the state, county, and city layers stack.

It applies only inside Baldwin Park city limits.

Who to contact

Landlords and renters can get answers from these offices for free.

City of Baldwin Park rent stabilization program (both). Answers rent control questions. That includes the yearly landlord registration form and the rule to post the maximum allowable rent. Email: rso@baldwinparkca.gov. Phone: (626) 960-4011, ext. 462. Website: baldwinpark.com/399. City Hall: 14403 E. Pacific Ave., Baldwin Park, CA 91706, open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Stay Housed L.A. (renters). Free legal help and eviction defense for LA County renters who qualify. Phone: (888) 694-0040. Website: stayhousedla.org.

Housing Rights Center (both). Free housing counseling and fair housing help. Phone: (800) 477-5977. Email: info@housingrightscenter.org. Website: housingrightscenter.org.

Before you act

This article is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, and every property is different. Before you act, talk to a licensed California real estate attorney. For tax questions, also talk to a CPA.