Application-Fee Farming
Charging fees they can only cover their actual cost to run — capped at a modest state amount (around $65). They can’t charge at all if no unit is available, and must refund you if they never process your application.
California caps how much and how often your rent can go up, bans a long list of “junk” fees, and lets you claw back money you were overcharged — sometimes three times over. If your rent or fees don’t add up, we can help you check the math and get it back.
Get Your Free Case ReviewFor most California rentals, the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) caps annual rent increases at 5% plus inflation — and never more than 10% in a 12-month period, no matter how hot the market gets. There’s no exception for “rising costs” or improvements; the cap is the cap.
Landlords also can’t raise the rent more than twice a year, and the two raises together still can’t beat the yearly limit. And they can’t “bank” a skipped year and pile it on later.
Many landlords wrongly think single-family homes are automatically exempt. They’re not. A house or condo only escapes the cap if the owner is a real person (not a corporation, REIT, or corporate-backed LLC) and the lease contains an exact, legally required exemption notice. Missing that language? The cap applies — and any increase above it is unlawful.
Even an increase within the cap is void if it’s not delivered right. California (Civil Code §827) requires 30 days’ written notice for an increase of 10% or less, and 90 days’ notice for anything above 10%. Mailed instead of hand-delivered? Add five more days.
Here’s the trap landlords fall into: the 10% line is measured cumulatively over a rolling 12 months. A 6% bump in spring plus another 6% in fall is 12% — which means that second notice needed 90 days, not 30. Get it wrong, and the whole increase is unenforceable.
If you’re in a city with local rent control, the rules are usually even tighter — often a single, smaller increase per year, and the landlord must keep the unit properly registered. If you got a short notice or an over-cap hike, you generally don’t owe the unlawful part.
As base rents got capped, some landlords turned to fees to make up the difference. California has been shutting those down one by one. These are the big ones.
Charging fees they can only cover their actual cost to run — capped at a modest state amount (around $65). They can’t charge at all if no unit is available, and must refund you if they never process your application.
Advertising “$2,000” then tacking on required “valet trash,” “amenity,” or “tech” fees. California’s honest-pricing law says any mandatory fee must be in the advertised rent from day one.
Charging you a “convenience” fee to pay rent by check, or a “posting fee” to serve you a notice. Both are now flatly banned in California.
A flat $100 or compounding daily late charge. Late fees must reflect the landlord’s real, modest cost — not a penalty. Arbitrary fees are routinely thrown out as unenforceable.
Billing you more than the actual water, trash, or gas bill, or charging for services you never received. A utility “fee” used as profit is an illegal rent increase in disguise.
Stacking on a big jump to make up for a year they didn’t raise the rent. “Banking” skipped increases isn’t allowed — the yearly cap is a hard ceiling every single year.
Rent and fee cases come down to paperwork and math. Keep good records, check the numbers against the law, and don’t go silent — the right steps protect both your money and your home.
Start My Free Case Review →Save your lease, every rent-increase notice, and proof of what you’ve paid. Your own records are the backbone of any overcharge claim — including the exact dates increases took effect.
Add up your increases over the last 12 months against the cap, count the notice days, and look for the exact exemption language. A missing paragraph or a short notice can make the whole increase void.
Refusing to pay an illegal increase can trigger an eviction fight. It’s often safer to pay under written protest and seek a refund — get advice before you withhold anything.
If you’re in a rent-controlled city, you can petition the local rent board to roll back an illegal increase. Otherwise, small claims is a fast, lawyer-free venue to recover overcharges and illegal fees.
Overcharge cases carry real teeth — a willful violation can mean triple damages plus your legal fees. We’ll check whether your rent and fees are lawful and pursue what you’re owed.
An illegal increase or fee is rarely “just” the overcharge — California stacks penalties and fee-shifting to make it costly for landlords who gamble. Depending on the facts, that may include:
Every dollar you paid above the legal limit — the unlawful part of a rent increase, plus any illegal fees collected along the way.
If the landlord charged over the cap willfully or in bad faith, the law allows treble damages — three times the overcharge — turning a small sum into a serious one.
In rent-controlled cities, a rent board can order your rent rolled back to the lawful amount — and credit or refund what you overpaid.
The rent-cap law lets a winning tenant recover legal fees and costs — which is how we can take strong cases without charging you upfront.
If your unit was never legal to rent, the landlord may have had no right to charge you — and you may be able to recover rent you already paid.
Small claims court handles these disputes for amounts up to $12,500, with no lawyers in the room — an affordable path made for renters.
If you’re covered by the statewide Tenant Protection Act, no more than 5% plus local inflation — and never more than 10% — in any 12-month period. If you’re in a city with stricter rent control (like Los Angeles or San Francisco), the cap is often far lower and set by your local rent board.
Maybe. A house or condo is exempt only if the owner is a real person (not a corporation, REIT, or corporate-backed LLC) and the lease includes the exact legally required exemption notice. If that specific language isn’t in your lease, your home is treated as covered — and an increase above the cap is unlawful.
Probably not, unless your building is fully exempt from both local and statewide rent control (such as newer construction). And regardless, any increase over 10% requires at least 90 days’ written notice — 30 days if it’s 10% or less, plus 5 extra days if it was mailed. A short notice alone can make the increase unenforceable.
Only if they were built into the advertised rent. Under California’s honest-pricing law, a landlord can’t advertise “$2,000” and then spring a required $50 “valet trash” fee on you at signing. Mandatory fees hidden from the listed price are unlawful.
No. California now bans charging tenants any fee to pay rent or a deposit by check, and bans fees for serving or posting tenancy notices like a 3-day notice. Those “posting” and “convenience” charges are illegal.
You can pursue it back. You may file with your local rent board or sue in small claims (up to $12,500). And if a landlord willfully charged you over the legal rent cap, a court can award treble damages — three times the overcharge — plus your attorney’s fees. Don’t wait too long, though; deadlines apply.
Deposit not back, or shorted for “cleaning” and wear? California limits what they can keep.
Learn MoreHit with a rent hike right after you complained? A retaliatory increase is illegal.
Learn MorePushed out so they can reset the rent to market? That may be an unlawful eviction.
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