Coastal California — Score 2.3–3.4
San Francisco and Oakland carry the highest burden: elected rent boards, CPI-only caps, and broad just-cause. Los Angeles, San Jose, and Contra Costa follow with strong local enforcement bodies. Santa Ana (Orange County) imposes a 3%/80% CPI cap — among the tightest in the state. Oxnard has a 4% hard cap.
Statewide Frameworks — Score 1.6–1.8
California, Oregon, and Washington each impose a CPI+5–7% annual cap with a 10% hard ceiling. That range accommodates inflation and a meaningful spread above it. Enforcement is state-level with no local rent board. These are the least-restrictive tier of active regulation.
Inland California — Score 1.8
No Inland Valley or Central Valley municipality has enacted a local ordinance. The state's AB 1482 framework applies: CPI+5%/10% cap, 15-year rolling new-construction exemption, just-cause eviction after 12 months of tenancy.
Seattle & Portland — Local Overlays
Both cities impose provisions stricter than state law. Seattle adds a 16-ground just-cause standard above Washington's statewide floor. Portland caps annual increases at 5%+CPI — tighter than Oregon's 7%+CPI baseline. Both ordinances apply within city boundaries only.
Preemption States — Score 1.0
Arizona, Utah, Idaho, and Montana prohibit local rent regulation by explicit statute. Nevada and Wyoming have no confirmed explicit preemption statute but no local jurisdiction in either state has enacted rent control; Dillon's Rule and legislative inaction are the operative constraints. New Mexico has no preemption statute and no enacted local ordinances. Colorado scores 1.2 — statewide just-cause eviction was enacted in April 2024, but no rent cap exists and preemption of local ordinances remains intact.
Vacant Units — No Restrictions Anywhere
Every jurisdiction on this map — including San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Portland, and Seattle — permits landlords to reset rents freely to market rate upon voluntary vacancy. In California this is mandated by the Costa-Hawkins Act (1995), which all local ordinances must comply with. Oregon's SB 608 and Washington's HB 1217 both explicitly allow market resets on vacancy. No Western US jurisdiction has vacancy control.
