Can You Send a Rent Increase Notice by Email in Concord or Fairfield?
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 Concord and Fairfield 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.
- In Concord, an increase served while the owner is behind on rent registry fees, or more than one increase in 12 months, can be grounds for a tenant to petition the city for a rent reduction.
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
Concord adds its own rules
Concord's rent program adds requirements on top of state law. Owners must register their units in the city's rent registry and pay the fees each year. Under the city's petition rules, a tenant can ask the city to reduce the rent if an increase was served while the owner was behind on registry fees, if it exceeded the allowable annual increase (5% for covered older multifamily units), or if there were two or more increases in 12 months.
So in Concord, a correct notice starts before the notice: confirm the registry is current, confirm which cap applies, and make sure this is the only increase in the past year.
Fairfield 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 Concord and Fairfield, property management cost in Concord, and property management cost in Fairfield.
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.
Do I need to register my Concord rental before raising rent?
Concord requires owners to register rental units in the city's rent registry and pay the annual fees. An increase served while fees are unpaid can be grounds for a tenant to petition the city for a rent reduction.
Talk to us
Call our Concord office at (925) 262-8145 or our Fairfield office at (707) 317-9570. Request a free rental analysis.
