California Just-Cause Eviction Rules for Small Landlords (AB 1482)

If AB 1482 covers your rental, you can't end a tenancy just because you'd like to. After the tenant has been there long enough, you need a "just cause" reason, and some of them carry a payment to the tenant. Before any of that, check whether you're exempt.

Step 1: are you covered at all?

Many small-landlord properties are exempt: single-family homes and condos owned by a natural person (if the exact written exemption notice was given), the other unit of an owner-occupied duplex, and buildings with a certificate of occupancy under 15 years old. If one of those applies, these just-cause rules don't. The details, and the notice trap, are in our exemption article.

Step 2: has the tenant been there long enough?

Just-cause protection kicks in once a tenant has lived in the unit continuously and lawfully for 12 months. If an additional adult tenant joined before the original tenant reached 24 months, it applies once all tenants have been there 12 months or at least one has reached 24 months. Before that, ordinary termination notice rules apply (Civil Code §1946.2).

Step 3: the reason you can use

At-fault reasons include not paying rent, breaching a material lease term, committing a nuisance, damaging the property, or using the unit for an unlawful purpose, usually after a written notice to correct where the law requires one.

No-fault reasons include the owner or a close family member moving in, withdrawing the unit from the rental market, a government order to vacate, and a substantial remodel or demolition. Each has its own conditions and notice content, and getting a condition wrong is how landlords end up defending a wrongful-eviction claim.

No-fault means you pay

For a no-fault termination, the landlord must either waive the final month's rent or, within 15 days of serving the notice, pay the tenant relocation assistance equal to one month's rent, and the notice has to say so. Plan for this cost before you serve the notice, not after.

What to do before serving any termination notice

1. Confirm exemption status and tenancy length.
2. Match your reason to a listed just cause and gather the proof.
3. Check your city's ordinance; many have stricter rules and their own paperwork.
4. Have an attorney review the notice if the reason is disputed or the amount at stake is large. A defective notice usually means starting over.

This article is informational, not legal advice. Evictions are high-stakes and technical. For your specific situation, talk to a California landlord-tenant attorney.