In places without rent control laws, you can essentially raise the rent by much you like. But, that doesn't mean you can do it any time you want. You must provide your tenant with sufficient notice, and the timing of the increase must be lawful. That means the increase should come when the lease term ends unless your lease specifies otherwise. Additionally, you can't raise the rent in retaliation for something your tenant did. Several cities, though, have rent control laws in place. If you operate a rent-controlled unit, you can only increase the rent by a certain percentage. This percentage differs from city to city. Moreover, you can only raise the rent once a year.