Just Cause Eviction in California

The Tenant Protection Act divides lawful reasons for ending a tenancy into at-fault causes, which are about something the tenant did, and no-fault causes, which are about what the owner intends to do with the property. The distinction matters, because no-fault terminations carry a relocation payment and at-fault terminations generally do not.

At-fault just cause includes nonpayment of rent, breach of a material lease term, nuisance, waste, criminal activity on the premises, refusing to sign a substantially similar renewal lease, refusing lawful entry, and failing to vacate after giving notice of intent to leave.

No-fault just cause includes owner or qualifying-relative move-in, withdrawal of the property from the rental market, compliance with a government order or local ordinance that requires vacancy, and substantial remodel or demolition.

Effective April 1, 2024, SB 567 rewrote the two no-fault grounds that had been the most heavily abused.

Owner move-in. The notice must name the person who will move in and state their relationship to the owner. That person must actually occupy the unit within 90 days of the tenant vacating, and must live there as their primary residence for at least 12 continuous months. If they do not, the landlord must offer the unit back to the displaced tenant at the original rent and terms.

Substantial remodel. The work must be genuinely substantial — replacing or substantially modifying structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical systems, or abating hazardous materials — and it must require the unit to be vacant for at least 30 days. Cosmetic work does not qualify, and the notice must describe the work and include a copy of the permits or the contract.

Every no-fault termination requires relocation assistance equal to one month of rent. The landlord chooses between two delivery methods:

• A direct payment to the tenant within 15 calendar days of serving the notice, or
• A waiver of the final month's rent, stated in the termination notice itself.

Failure to provide the assistance makes the notice void. Local ordinances frequently require substantially more — some cities index relocation payments to unit size, tenant age, or disability status.

A just-cause termination notice must state the cause. A bare 30- or 60-day notice with no stated reason is not sufficient for a covered tenancy, and serving one is a common and costly mistake for owners who have not checked whether AB 1482 covers the property.

Where the ground is no-fault, the notice must also state how relocation assistance is being provided and, for owner move-in and substantial remodel, include the specific disclosures SB 567 requires.