Can You Send a Rent Increase Notice by Email in Sacramento?
Short answer: No. Under California Civil Code Section 827, a rent increase notice has to be delivered in writing, either personally to the tenant or by mail. Email alone does not count, even if you and your tenant handle everything else by email. Send the email as a courtesy copy if you like, but serve the official notice the legal way.
A rent increase can be the right amount and still fail because of how it was delivered. Here is what Sacramento and Roseville owners need to know.
Key takeaways
- Email is not a legal delivery method for a rent increase notice in California. Neither is a text message.
- Deliver it personally or by mail. Mailing adds 5 days to the notice period.
- 30 days' notice for increases of 10% or less in a 12-month period; 90 days for more than 10%.
- The notice period runs from service, so a last-minute email can push your increase back a month or more.
- Inside Sacramento city limits, covered units also fall under the city's Tenant Protection Program, which allows one increase every 12 months, capped at 8.6% through June 30, 2027.
Why email isn't enough
Convenience and legal service are not the same thing. You may text your tenant, sign the lease electronically, and handle repair requests through a portal. None of that makes email a valid way to serve a rent increase.
If the notice isn't served correctly, the increase may not be enforceable, and any rent collected under it can be challenged. The fix is usually to serve the notice again properly, which restarts the clock and delays the increase.
How to serve a rent increase notice in California
| Method | How it works | Extra time |
|---|---|---|
| Personal delivery | Hand the written notice to the tenant | None. The notice period starts that day. |
| Send by first-class mail, and record the date and place of mailing | Add 5 calendar days | |
| Email or text | Not a valid method on its own | Use only as a courtesy copy |
How much notice:
- 30 days if this increase, plus any others in the past 12 months, adds up to 10% or less.
- 90 days if the total is more than 10%.
So a mailed notice for an increase of 10% or less needs 35 days before the new rent takes effect.
What the notice should include
- Every tenant's name and the property address
- The current rent and the new rent, in dollars
- The date the new rent takes effect
- The date the notice was served and how
- If you rely on the AB 1482 single-family exemption, the required exemption language, which belongs in the lease as well
Sacramento has its own requirements
Inside Sacramento city limits, units covered by the city's Tenant Protection Program can only be increased once every 12 months, up to the city's annual cap (8.6% through June 30, 2027). City code says the increase takes effect only after written notice "as prescribed by law," with notice content following the program's administrative procedures. Covered units also have to be registered with the city.
Roseville has no local rent ordinance, so state law (Civil Code Section 827 and, for covered units, AB 1482) controls there.
Timing is where most mistakes happen
Say you want a new rent to start on the first of next month, and you are traveling the week you meant to send the notice. An email feels like the easy fix. It isn't valid, and by the time you mail a proper notice, you have lost a month of the increase.
The simple fix is to plan backward from the effective date: decide the amount 60 to 90 days out, serve the notice with a few days to spare, and keep a record. That matters even more for owners who live outside the area or out of state.
Keep a record
Months later, "I think I sent it in June" is not enough. Keep a copy of the notice, the date and method of service, and how you calculated the increase. If a tenant disputes it, or if a city rent program asks, that record is what settles it.
How Legacy handles rent increases
Every Legacy renewal starts 90 days before the lease ends with an Annual Investment Review: the legal limit for that property, a current market rent analysis, and our recommendation. Once you approve the number, we prepare the notice, serve it correctly, send the tenant a courtesy copy, and keep the record. You never have to figure out how to serve a notice from an airport.
Related reading: 2026 rent increase limits for Sacramento and Roseville, property management cost in Sacramento, and property management cost in Roseville.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord send a rent increase notice by email in California?
Not as the official notice. Civil Code Section 827 requires the notice to be delivered personally or by mail. An email copy is fine as a courtesy, in addition to proper service.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in California?
30 days if the total increase over 12 months is 10% or less, and 90 days if it is more than 10%. Add 5 days if the notice is mailed.
When does the notice period start?
On the day of personal delivery. For a mailed notice, add 5 calendar days to the required period.
How often can I raise rent in Sacramento?
For units covered by the City of Sacramento's Tenant Protection Program, once every 12 months. Under AB 1482, all increases in any 12-month period combined cannot exceed the cap.
Talk to us
Call our Sacramento office at (916) 238-1420 or our Roseville office at (916) 452-5000. Request a free rental analysis.
