Just Cause Eviction in California: When a Landlord Needs a Reason

In most of California, once you have lived somewhere for a year, a landlord cannot simply decline to renew. California’s just cause eviction law requires a reason the statute recognises, requires that reason to be written in the notice, and for some reasons requires the landlord to pay you to leave. The rules are in Civil Code section 1946.2, enacted by AB 1482 and tightened by SB 567, which took effect April 1, 2024.

Protection starts at 12 months

Just cause protection applies once a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied the property for 12 months. There is a wrinkle for households that grow: if an additional adult tenant is added before an existing tenant reaches 24 months, protection applies only if all tenants have been there 12 months or more, or one tenant has been there 24 months or more. See roommate rights when you are not on the lease.

At-fault just cause

At-fault grounds are about something the tenant did. Section 1946.2(b)(1) lists them:

• Not paying rent
• Breaching a material term of the lease, after a written notice to correct it
• Nuisance
• Committing waste
• Refusing, after a written request, to sign a renewal or extension of similar duration and terms
• Criminal activity on the property, or criminal threats directed at the owner or agent
• Assigning or subletting in violation of the lease (see subletting laws in California)
• Refusing the landlord lawful entry under Civil Code 1954 (see landlord entry rules)
• Using the premises for an unlawful purpose
• An employee, agent or licensee failing to leave after their employment ends
• Failing to move out after the tenant gave their own written notice to vacate

Where the violation can be fixed, the landlord must give written notice and an opportunity to cure before terminating.

No-fault just cause

No-fault grounds involve nothing the tenant did. There are four:

• Owner or relative move-in. The owner, or the owner’s spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent or grandparent, intends to live there as a primary residence for at least 12 months. For leases signed on or after July 1, 2020, this ground is available only if the tenant agrees in writing or the lease includes an owner-move-in clause. Since SB 567, the notice must name the person moving in and their relationship to the owner, and they must move in within 90 days. Full rules: owner move-in evictions in California.
• Withdrawal from the rental market. In rent-controlled cities this runs through the Ellis Act; see the Ellis Act explained.
• A government or court order, or a local ordinance, that requires the unit to be vacated.
• Demolition or substantial remodel. Since SB 567, “substantial remodel” has a strict meaning: replacing or substantially modifying a structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical system in work that requires a government permit, or abating hazardous materials such as lead paint, mold or asbestos — and the work must require the tenant to be out for at least 30 consecutive days. Cosmetic work does not qualify. The notice must include a copy of the permit and describe the work and how long it will take.

No-fault means the landlord pays

For any no-fault termination, the landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month of the tenant’s rent — the rent in effect when the notice was issued — regardless of the tenant’s income. The landlord chooses the form: a direct payment made within 15 calendar days of serving the notice, or a written waiver of the final month’s rent given before it is due. A landlord who fails to comply strictly with this requirement has served a void notice. Cities with their own ordinances often require considerably more; see California relocation assistance.

If the landlord gets it wrong

A termination notice that does not comply with section 1946.2 is void. A landlord who recovers possession in material violation of the section can be liable for actual damages, attorney’s fees at the court’s discretion, and — for willful, oppressive, fraudulent or malicious conduct — up to three times actual damages plus punitive damages. The Attorney General, city attorney or county counsel can also seek an injunction. If an owner move-in never happens, the owner must offer the unit back at the same rent and terms and reimburse reasonable moving expenses beyond the relocation already paid.

Which units are exempt

Section 1946.2(e) excludes, among others: hotels and transient occupancy; nonprofit hospitals, religious facilities and care facilities; dormitories; a unit where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with an owner who lives there; an owner-occupied single-family home where the owner rents out no more than two units or bedrooms; an owner-occupied duplex; housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years; deed-restricted affordable housing; and single-family homes and condos with a non-corporate owner that gave the tenant the statutory exemption notice. These largely track the rent-cap exemptions — see is my rental exempt?

Every covered tenant must also receive a written notice, in at least 12-point type, telling them that California limits rent increases and requires a stated cause for termination. Since January 1, 2026 (AB 1529), that notice can be placed in the lease itself.

Local ordinances may go further

A city just cause ordinance adopted on or before September 1, 2019, or a later one that is more protective, applies in place of section 1946.2. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, San Diego and Santa Monica all have their own rules. Some start protection earlier than 12 months — San Diego’s applies from the first day of a tenancy — and most require much larger relocation payments. See the guides for Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, San Diego and Santa Monica.

It expires in 2030

Section 1946.2 states that it “shall remain in effect only until January 1, 2030, and as of that date is repealed” — the same sunset as the statewide rent cap, which was enacted alongside it. See what happens when AB 1482 expires.

Questions people ask

Can a landlord refuse to renew a lease in California without a reason?

Not once a covered tenant has passed 12 months. The landlord needs an at-fault or no-fault just cause, stated in the written notice.

How much relocation does a California landlord have to pay?

Under state law, one month’s rent for any no-fault termination. Local ordinances can require more.

How long does an eviction take once a notice is served?

It depends on the notice and whether the tenant responds; see how long an eviction takes in California.

Related California renter guides

• Owner move-in evictions
• Relocation assistance
• The Ellis Act explained
• Cash for keys and tenant buyouts
• 30-day vs 60-day termination notices
• The California eviction timeline

This page explains what the cited California law says. It is not legal advice. Last verified September 28, 2026.