Pasadena's Measure H Caps Rent Increases at 2.5% Through September 2027

The short answer

Pasadena's rent law, Measure H, has two rules:

• The rent cap limits how much you can raise the rent each year. Right now it's 2.5%.
• The eviction rule means you need a reason the law allows to end a tenancy.

Almost every Pasadena rental falls under the eviction rule. The rent cap reaches fewer homes, mostly older buildings and lots with more than one home.

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

If you can't tell which row fits, ask the Rent Stabilization Department, listed below.

A house or condo

A house that is the only home on its lot is exempt from the rent cap. The eviction rule still applies.

A condo is treated the same way. It's exempt from the rent cap, and the eviction rule still applies.

This is stricter than state law. Under AB-1482, a house or condo that passes three tests can skip both rules. In Pasadena, only the rent cap is lifted.

If you rent a house or condo: your rent increase isn't capped by the city. The owner still needs an allowed reason to end your tenancy.

A house with an ADU or guest house

Add an ADU or guest house, and the city's FAQ says the lot "may be considered" multi-family. That's true even with just two homes on the lot. Living on the lot yourself, in either home, doesn't change it.

Then any rental on the lot built before February 1995 can fall under the rent cap. A new ADU was built after that, so the rent cap doesn't reach the ADU itself.

The older house is where the rent cap bites. If you rent out a pre-1995 house and have an ADU on the lot, expect the cap to apply to the house. The eviction rule applies to both homes.

There's one exception. An ADU or guest house that shares a kitchen or bathroom with your home doesn't count this way.

If you rent the main house on a lot with an ADU: your rent may be capped even though it's a house. Ask the Rent Stabilization Department to confirm.

Apartments and newer buildings

An apartment, duplex, or triplex built before February 1, 1995 falls under the rent cap. It also falls under the eviction rule.

A building finished after that date is exempt from the rent cap. The eviction rule still applies, unless one of the exemptions below fits.

When the eviction rule starts

The city's pages don't say how long a tenant must live in a unit before the eviction rule applies. If timing matters for your tenancy, ask the Rent Stabilization Department.

Units outside one rule or both

Some units skip one rule or both. The city lists these units outside the rent cap:

• hospitals, medical and treatment facilities, dorms, convents, and nursing homes
• subsidized units owned by a government agency, or by a nonprofit using tax credits

It lists these outside the eviction rule:

• hotel and motel stays under 30 days
• hospitals, medical and treatment facilities, dorms, convents, and nursing homes
• certain government-owned units
• a tenant who shares a kitchen or bathroom with the owner who lives there
• a single-family homeowner with a temporary tenancy agreement, under specific conditions

A Section 8 voucher alone doesn't exempt a unit from the rent cap. For other subsidized housing, the city says it depends on the program. Ask the department.

What Measure H is

Pasadena voters passed Measure H in November 2022. It put rent rules into the city charter, as Article XVIII.

A charter is the city's founding document, like a local constitution. A charter amendment can only be changed by another citywide vote. The City Council can't change it alone.

Measure H is a city layer on top of state law, AB-1482. Where Measure H covers a unit, its stricter rules govern. The single-family guide shows how the state, county, and city layers stack and compares them.

Measure H applies only inside Pasadena city limits. Altadena, next door, follows a separate LA County rule. See the Altadena piece.

The current rent cap

Pasadena's rent cap is called the Annual General Adjustment (AGA). The city sets a new one each year, using a formula in the city charter.

On a $2,400 monthly rent, the current cap allows up to $60 more a month.

That's much lower than the state cap. The state allows 5% plus inflation, up to 10%. Pasadena allows only part of inflation, and the city's announcement shows the math.

The city's overview page can lag behind. For the newest rate, check the city's rent stabilization news page or call the department, listed below.

Timing rules for an increase

You can raise rent once every 12 months, with 30 days' written notice.

The city says past increases that were approved but never used can't be added to this year's limit. The AGA is the most a covered rent can go up this year without a petition.

If you want more than the AGA, you can ask the Rental Housing Board for it. The city calls this a petition for upward adjustment, under Charter § 1814.

A court struck down one relocation rule

Measure H requires relocation pay when you end a tenancy for a no-fault reason. That rule still stands. It also had a second relocation rule, which a court has now struck down.

The second rule covered units outside the rent cap, like houses, condos, and newer buildings. It required relocation pay when a tenant moved out because they couldn't afford a large rent increase.

On December 18, 2025, a state appeals court ruled that rule invalid. It said the rule conflicts with Costa-Hawkins, a state law that lets owners set rents on those units.

The same ruling struck a notice step for unpaid rent. Measure H had required an extra written warning before the state's three-day notice. The court said that step conflicts with state eviction law.

The court turned down the other challenges, so the rent cap and the eviction rule stand. It sent the case back to the trial court to enter a new judgment.

For a house or condo owner, a large rent increase no longer triggers relocation pay under that rule. For a tenant, that payment isn't available in that situation. Ask the Rent Stabilization Department how it applies the ruling today.

How it affects each side

For a Pasadena landlord, Measure H sets a yearly ceiling on rent for covered units. It also adds yearly registration and the eviction rule. The single-family guide shows how this compares with the state and county rules.

For a tenant, increases on covered units are capped at a known rate tied to inflation. The charter requires an allowed reason to end a tenancy, even in a house or condo.

Tenants in no-fault evictions also get relocation help. A city department runs the program, so both sides have a local office to call.

What this doesn't cover

Measure H covers Pasadena only. It doesn't apply in Altadena, South Pasadena, or any other SGV city. Because it's in the charter, the city can change it only through another ballot measure.

Who to contact

• Landlords and renters can get answers from these offices for free.
• Pasadena Rent Stabilization Department (both). Runs Measure H for the Rental Housing Board. It answers coverage, rent increase, and eviction questions. Phone: (626) 744-7999. Email: rentstabilization@cityofpasadena.net. Website: cityofpasadena.net/rent-stabilization. Office: 199 S. Los Robles Ave., Suite 350, Pasadena, CA 91101.
• Rental registry (landlords). Owners of covered units register them here each year. Website: cityofpasadena.net/rent-stabilization/rental-registry. Email: rentalregistry@cityofpasadena.net. Phone: (626) 744-7999.
• Petitions and hearings (both). Landlords seeking more than the AGA file petitions here. Either side can appeal a hearing decision. Website: cityofpasadena.net/rent-stabilization/petitions-hearings. Email for appeals: rsdhearings@cityofpasadena.net.
• Housing Rights Center (both). Free housing counseling and fair housing help, including in Pasadena. Phone: (800) 477-5977. 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.