Can a landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease?
Short answer: Generally no — rent in a fixed-term lease is locked for the term unless the lease itself allows increases. On a month-to-month tenancy, a landlord can raise rent with proper advance written notice, subject to any state or local rent cap.
Even without rent control, a landlord can't raise rent to retaliate against a tenant for complaining or to discriminate. Several cities add their own limits — see the city pages linked from each state page.
The rule in every state
Each answer below links to the statute or official page it comes from (51 of 51 jurisdictions verified).
| State | Rent control / increase limits |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Local rent control is preempted statewide. No county, city, or other local government may enact, maintain, or enforce a measure controlling the rent charged for leasing private property. There is no statewide rent cap. Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1 |
| Alaska | No statewide rent control. Without a lease, a landlord may raise rent by any amount on at least 30 days' notice for a month-to-month tenancy. AS 34.03.290 (notice); no rent-cap statute |
| Arizona | Local rent control is preempted. Cities, including charter cities, and towns have no power to control rents on private residential property. There is no statewide rent cap. A.R.S. § 33-1329 |
| Arkansas | Local rent control is preempted. Local governments may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances controlling rent, and since Act 459 of 2025, rental application fees or rental deposits, for private residential or commercial property. There is no statewide rent cap. Ark. Code Ann. §§ 14-16-601, 14-54-1409 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025) |
| California | Statewide cap (AB 1482, Tenant Protection Act): within any 12 months, rent may rise by no more than 5% plus the local CPI change, or 10%, whichever is lower, in no more than two increments. Exemptions include housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the past 15 years, deed-restricted affordable housing, dorms, and qualifying single-family homes and condos not owned by a REIT, corporation, or corporate-member LLC, if the required exemption notice was given. Local rent control is allowed, within the limits of the Costa-Hawkins Act (Civ. Code § 1954.50 et seq.). Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 |
| Colorado | Local rent control is preempted. No county or municipality may enact an ordinance or resolution controlling rent on private residential property, except voluntary agreements or deed restrictions with a permit applicant or owner for affordable housing. There is no statewide rent cap. C.R.S. § 38-12-301 |
| Connecticut | No statewide rent control or rent cap. Towns may create Fair Rent Commissions, which can rule that a rent or increase is excessive. P.A. 22-30 required specified larger towns to have a commission by July 1, 2023. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-148b to 7-148f; P.A. 22-30 (as summarized in Judicial Branch JDP-HM-31) |
| Delaware | No rent control or rent-increase cap in the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code. Rent increases take effect at renewal with 60 days' written notice. 25 Del. C. §§ 5106, 5107 |
| District of Columbia | Yes. DC's Rent Stabilization Program covers many older rental units. Annual increase cap for covered units: lesser of CPI + 2% or 10% (registered elderly/disabled tenants: lowest of CPI, Social Security COLA, or 5%), at most once per 12 months, and only if the landlord is licensed/registered and the unit substantially complies with the housing code. All tenants (rent controlled or not) get at least 60 days' written notice of any rent increase. D.C. Code §§ 42-3502.08, 42-3502.06(e), 42-3502.24, 42-3509.04(b) |
| Florida | Local rent control is prohibited. Counties and municipalities may not adopt or maintain any measure that would control rents; residential tenancy regulation is preempted to the state. Fla. Stat. §§ 125.0103(2), 83.425 |
| Georgia | Local rent control is preempted. No county or city may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution regulating the rent charged for privately owned single-family or multi-unit residential rental property. Exceptions: property the local government (or its authority) owns, and voluntary agreements with private persons that regulate rent. No statewide rent cap. O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19 |
| Hawaii | No rent control in Hawaii; no limit on the amount of a rent increase. Notice of increase: at least 45 days for month-to-month tenancies, 15 days for shorter tenancies. HRS § 521-21(d)-(e); Office of Consumer Protection Landlord-Tenant Handbook |
| Idaho | Local rent control is preempted. Cities, counties and other local governments may not adopt or enforce laws that set the rent, fees or deposits owners may charge on private residential property, or compel owners to participate in optional federal housing assistance programs. No statewide cap. Idaho Code § 55-306 |
| Illinois | No statewide rent control, and home rule units are preempted from regulating the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial property. 50 ILCS 825/10 (Rent Control Preemption Act) |
| Indiana | Preempted: local units may not regulate rental rates for privately owned property, nor screening, security deposits, lease applications, lease terms, disclosures, parties' rights, or landlord fees, unless authorized by the General Assembly. Does not apply to property receiving government funds for reduced rents. IC 32-31-1-20 |
| Iowa | Preempted: cities and counties may not adopt or enforce any limit on the amount of rent for private residential or commercial property (except property in which the local government has an interest). No statewide cap. Iowa Code § 364.3(9) (cities); § 331.304(10) (counties) |
| Kansas | Preempted: no county, city, township or other political subdivision may enact, maintain or enforce rent control on privately owned residential or commercial property (voluntary incentive agreements excepted). K.S.A. 12-16,120 |
| Kentucky | Preempted: only the General Assembly may enact rent control on private property; local governments may not. No statewide cap. KRS 65.875 |
| Louisiana | No statute — Louisiana has no state rent control law, and no city or parish is known to have adopted rent control; rent is set by the lease. No statute expressly addresses local rent control, but R.S. 9:3258 says lessors' rights may not be altered, abridged or diminished except by state law (subject to the police power). A 2026 bill to let municipalities adopt rent stabilization (HB 472) died in committee. La. R.S. 9:3258; 2026 Reg. Sess. HB 472 (involuntarily deferred 5/5/2026) |
| Maine | No statewide cap on rent amounts. State law regulates increases by notice: at least 45 days' written notice of any rent or mandatory recurring fee increase, and 75 days' notice if the increase (or several increases within 12 months) totals 10% or more. Rent may not be increased while the unit violates the warranty of habitability. State law does not preempt local rent control, and Portland has a local rent control ordinance. 14 M.R.S. §§ 6015, 6016 |
| Maryland | No statewide rent control or statewide cap on rent increases. Local jurisdictions may adopt rent regulation (statewide preemption not found). Md. Office of the Attorney General, 'Landlords and Tenants: Tips on Avoiding Disputes' (Rev. Feb. 2025); DHCD Tenants' Bill of Rights (eff. Oct 1, 2026) |
| Massachusetts | Banned statewide by state law, and the ban is still in force. 'No city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control of any kind,' except a narrow program in a municipality that accepts c. 40P. Owner compliance with that program must be voluntary after 6 months, it cannot cover owners of fewer than 10 units or units with a fair market rent above $400, and the town must pay owners the difference from general funds. There is no statewide cap on rent increases. Rent control is NOT on the November 3, 2026 state ballot. The Secretary of the Commonwealth lists nine binding statewide questions (Questions 1-8 are initiative laws and Question 9 is a referendum on the 2024 firearms law), and none of them deals with rent control or rent stabilization. The rent-control initiative (Initiative Petition 25-21, 'An Initiative Petition to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases') was challenged at the Supreme Judicial Court in Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893. G.L. c. 40P, §§ 3-4; Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 State Election Ballot Questions; Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893 |
| Michigan | Statewide preemption: local governments may not adopt, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would have the effect of controlling rent on private residential property. No statewide rent cap. MCL 123.411 |
| Minnesota | No statewide rent cap. State law preempts local rent control unless the measure is approved by voters in a general election. Saint Paul has a rent stabilization ordinance (originally adopted 'Ord of 11-2-2021', the 2021 general election date, per the ordinance's history notes): a 3% cap on increases within any 12-month period, with exceptions. Minn. Stat. § 471.9996; Saint Paul Legislative Code ch. 193A |
| Mississippi | No rent control. State law bars cities and towns (§ 21-17-5(2)(h)) and counties (§ 19-3-40(3)(g)) from regulating, directly or indirectly, the rent charged for private residential property in which they have no property interest, unless the Legislature gives prior approval. Miss. Code Ann. § 21-17-5(2)(h); § 19-3-40(3)(g) |
| Missouri | Statewide preemption. Counties and cities, including charter governments, may not enact, maintain, or enforce ordinances regulating the rent charged for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. Exceptions: property the locality owns, voluntary agreements for subsidized properties, and CDBG-assisted properties. RSMo 441.043 |
| Montana | Local rent control preempted: local governments with self-government powers may not exercise any power to control the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial property. No statewide cap. Mont. Code Ann. § 7-1-111(26) |
| Nebraska | Preempted statewide: cities, villages, counties and their subdivisions may not enact or enforce local laws controlling rent on private property, including home-rule cities; conflicting local laws are void. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 13-331 (Laws 2025, LB266) |
| Nevada | No statewide rent control statute in NRS Ch. 118A. Rent increases require written notice at least 60 days in advance (30 days for periodic tenancies of less than one month). NRS 118A.300 |
| New Hampshire | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap in RSA ch. 540. On restricted property, a tenant's refusal of a rent increase is good cause for eviction only if the landlord gave at least 30 days' written notice of the amount and effective date. RSA 540:2, IV |
| New Jersey | No statewide rent control and no state preemption. Municipalities may adopt rent control or rent leveling ordinances. Multiple dwellings built after 1987 are exempt from municipal limits on periodic increases for the period of the initial mortgage amortization or 30 years from completion, whichever is less. Without initial mortgage financing, the exemption is 30 years. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.5; municipal ordinances |
| New Mexico | Statewide preemption: no political subdivision or home-rule municipality may enact rent control on privately owned real property. NMSA 1978, § 47-8A-1 |
| New York | Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A, 2024) applies automatically in NYC and in localities that opt in: rent increases above the 'local rent standard' (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10%) are presumed unreasonable and eviction/non-renewal requires good cause. N.Y. RPL §§ 211, 212, 213, 214, 216 |
| North Carolina | Statewide preemption: counties and cities may not regulate the amount of rent for privately owned residential or commercial rental property. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14.1 |
| North Dakota | Statewide preemption: political subdivisions may not enact, maintain, or enforce rent control on private residential or commercial property. N.D.C.C. § 47-16-02.1 |
| Ohio | Local rent control and rent stabilization are preempted statewide. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.19(A) |
| Oklahoma | No statewide rent cap. Cities are prohibited from enacting, maintaining or enforcing ordinances that set rent on privately owned residential (or commercial) property. 11 O.S. § 14-101.1 |
| Oregon | Statewide rent stabilization. After the first year, no more than one increase per 12 months, with at least 90 days' written notice; increase capped at the lesser of 10% or 7% + CPI (West Region CPI-U), published annually by DAS/Office of Economic Analysis. Max increase: 10.0% for 2025; 9.5% for 2026; 10% for 2027. Exempt: buildings whose first certificate of occupancy was issued less than 15 years before the notice date, and certain regulated affordable housing. Local rent control is otherwise preempted. ORS 90.323; ORS 90.324; ORS 91.225 |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap, and no statute that expressly bans local rent control. No statute authorizes it either, and home-rule municipalities may not set duties or requirements for businesses unless a statewide statute expressly allows it, so a local rent cap would face a serious legal challenge. 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law) |
| Rhode Island | No statewide rent control or cap on the amount of rent increases; only notice requirements (60 days; 120 days for month-to-month tenants over 62). R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-16.1 |
| South Carolina | No statewide rent cap. Counties and municipalities are prohibited from enacting, maintaining or enforcing rent control on privately owned residential property. S.C. Code § 27-39-60 |
| South Dakota | No statewide rent control, and state law prohibits local rent control. No local government may enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or other measure that would control the rent charged for private residential property. SDCL 6-1-13 |
| Tennessee | Prohibited statewide: local governments may not enact, maintain or enforce any ordinance or resolution that would control the rent charged for private residential or commercial property. Local mandatory below-market (inclusionary) housing requirements are also barred, but voluntary incentive programs are allowed. T.C.A. 66-35-102 |
| Texas | No statewide rent control. Cities may adopt rent control only if the governing body finds a housing emergency due to a disaster and the governor approves the ordinance. Tex. Local Gov't Code Sec. 214.902 |
| Utah | Local rent control prohibited: a county, city, or town may not enact an ordinance or resolution controlling rents or fees on private residential property without express approval of the Legislature. No statewide cap. Utah Code 57-20-1 |
| Vermont | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap. Landlord must give at least 60 days' actual notice of a rent increase, effective the first day of the next rental period. 9 V.S.A. 4455(b) |
| Virginia | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap, and no Virginia statute authorizes local rent control. Va. Code Title 55.1, Ch. 12 (no cap); 2026 HB 278 / SB 355 |
| Washington | Statewide rent stabilization (HB 1217, 2025 c 209, effective May 7, 2025): no rent increase during the first 12 months of a tenancy, and increases in any 12-month period capped at 7% + CPI or 10%, whichever is less. Commerce-published maximum: 9.683% for calendar 2026 and 10% for calendar 2027. 90 days' written notice of any increase required. Manufactured/mobile home lots: 5% cap. RCW 59.18.700; RCW 59.18.710; RCW 59.18.140(3); 2025 c 209 |
| West Virginia | No state rent control law. No enacted statewide preemption of local rent control was found in the code. W. Va. Code § 37-6-9 (current text contains no rent-control provision) |
| Wisconsin | Preempted. No city, village, town, or county may regulate the amount of rent or fees charged for a residential rental unit. Inclusionary zoning is also prohibited. Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 |
| Wyoming | No state rent control law. No enacted statewide preemption statute was located. W.S. 1-21-1201 to 1-21-1211 (no rent-regulation provision) |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.