Details
California relocation assistance under state law comes from one subdivision: Civil Code 1946.2(d). When a landlord ends a tenancy covered by the statewide just cause eviction rules for a reason that is not the tenant’s fault, the landlord owes the tenant one month’s rent, either as a payment or as a waived final month. The rule is short, strict and easy to get wrong, and many cities require much more.
Quick answer: When a California landlord ends a covered tenancy for a no-fault reason — owner move-in, withdrawal from the rental market, a government order, or demolition or substantial remodel — state law requires one month’s rent as relocation, regardless of the tenant’s income. The landlord either pays it within 15 calendar days of serving the notice or waives the final month’s rent in writing before it is due. A notice that does not strictly follow these rules is void, and local ordinances can require several times more.
Who is entitled to California relocation assistance
The statewide payment applies when all of these are true:
- The tenancy is covered by 1946.2. The tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied the unit for 12 months (1946.2(a)), and the property is not exempt under 1946.2(e) — for example, housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the last 15 years, or a house or condo whose non-corporate owner gave the required exemption notice.
- The landlord is ending the tenancy. A move-out the tenant chooses, or a negotiated buyout, is not a termination notice.
- The reason is a no-fault just cause under 1946.2(b)(2).
The four no-fault causes are:
- the owner or a listed relative moving in (see owner move-in evictions);
- withdrawal of the property from the rental market;
- complying with a government or court order to vacate, including one relating to habitability, or a local ordinance that requires vacating; and
- intent to demolish or substantially remodel.
One exception: if a government agency or court finds the tenant at fault for the condition that triggered a vacate order, the tenant is not entitled to relocation (1946.2(b)(2)(C)(ii)). At-fault terminations, such as nonpayment of rent, carry no statewide relocation.
How much relocation assistance and when it is due
The amount is one month of the tenant’s rent in effect when the owner issued the notice (1946.2(d)(3)(A)). The owner picks one of two forms:
| Option | Amount | Deadline | What the notice must say |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct payment | One month’s rent in effect when the notice was issued | Within 15 calendar days of service of the notice | That the tenant has a right to relocation assistance |
| Final-month waiver | One month’s rent | Waived in writing before that rent becomes due | The amount waived, and that no rent is due for the final month |
The payment applies “regardless of the tenant’s income” (1946.2(d)(1)). There is no separate or higher statewide figure for owner move-in, seniors or families with children; the state amount is one month in every no-fault case.
A worked example
Say your rent is $2,300 and your landlord serves a no-fault notice in person on November 3, 2026 to withdraw the building from the rental market.
- If the landlord pays: $2,300 must reach you by November 18, 2026 — 15 calendar days after service.
- If the landlord waives: the notice itself must say that $2,300 is waived and that no rent is due for your final month, and the waiver must be in writing before that month’s rent comes due.
- If the payment arrives late or not at all: the landlord has not strictly complied, and under 1946.2(d)(4) the notice is void.
The statute also protects the landlord: if a tenant takes the payment or waiver and then does not leave when the notice expires, the amount is recoverable as damages in the eviction case (1946.2(d)(3)(B)).
Strict compliance: why small mistakes void the notice
Two provisions make the relocation rules unusually unforgiving. Section 1946.2(d)(4) says an owner’s “failure to strictly comply with this subdivision shall render the notice of termination void.” And 1946.2(g) voids a termination notice for failure to comply with any provision of the section. Mistakes that count include paying on day 20 instead of by day 15, omitting the statement of the tenant’s right to relocation, or waiving the final month without stating the amount.
A void notice does not end the tenancy. An owner who tries to recover possession in material violation of 1946.2 can be liable for actual damages, attorney’s fees at the court’s discretion, and up to three times actual damages plus punitive damages for willful, oppressive, fraudulent or malicious conduct (1946.2(h)). Any lease clause waiving these rights is void (1946.2(j)).
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Extra money when an owner move-in falls through
For owner move-in only, there is a second payment. If the intended occupant does not move in within 90 days after the tenant leaves, or does not live there as a primary residence for at least 12 consecutive months, the owner must offer the unit back at the same rent and terms and reimburse the tenant’s reasonable moving expenses beyond the relocation already paid (1946.2(b)(2)(A)(vi)).
How state relocation interacts with local ordinances
Two rules decide which law pays:
- Local just cause ordinances can replace 1946.2. A property covered by a local just cause ordinance adopted on or before September 1, 2019, or by a later one that is more protective, follows the local ordinance instead (1946.2(i)). A property cannot be subject to both. In those units, the local relocation rules are the ones that apply.
- Where 1946.2 applies and another law also requires relocation, the state payment is credited against the other amount (1946.2(d)(3)(C)). It is not paid on top.
Local amounts are often several times the state’s one month, and some cities add a separate payment for protected households; Oakland is one example. Check the current local figures in the city guides for Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Berkeley.
Ellis Act withdrawals and relocation
In cities with rent control, owners who take a building off the rental market do so under the Ellis Act, Government Code 7060 and following. The Ellis Act sets notice periods and re-rental limits, but relocation for Ellis withdrawals is left to local law. Outside a local rent control system, withdrawal from the rental market is simply one of the no-fault causes in 1946.2(b)(2)(B), and the one-month state payment applies to covered tenancies. See the Ellis Act explained for tenants.
Questions people ask
How much relocation assistance is required in California?
Under state law, one month of the rent in effect when the notice was issued, for no-fault terminations of tenancies covered by 1946.2. Local ordinances can require more.
What if my landlord doesn’t pay relocation within 15 days?
Under 1946.2(d)(4), failure to strictly comply with the relocation rules makes the termination notice void.
Do I get relocation if I’m evicted for not paying rent?
No. Nonpayment is an at-fault just cause, and the statewide relocation requirement applies only to no-fault terminations.
Does relocation assistance depend on my income?
Not under state law. Section 1946.2(d)(1) requires it regardless of the tenant’s income. Some local ordinances add payments for particular households.
Is a cash-for-keys payment the same as relocation assistance?
No. A buyout is a negotiated agreement, not a termination notice. See cash for keys in California.
Related California renter guides
- Just cause eviction rules in California
- Owner move-in evictions: the rules
- The Ellis Act explained for tenants
- Cash for keys and tenant buyouts
- Oakland rent control and tenant rights
- What happens when AB 1482 expires in 2030
This page explains what the cited California law says. It is not legal advice. Last verified September 28, 2026.