NEW: Here are the maximum allowable rent increases under California's rent cap law: Los Angeles: 8.6% Bay Area: 8.8% San Diego: 9.1% All others: 9.0% These reset every August at 5% plus inflation. Does not apply to local rent controlled units or apts less than 15 years old.

I think that "Bay Area" number only applies to the San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley MSA, which is not the whole Bay Area and excludes areas such as Santa Clara County. (I think the others are for MSAs as well.)