Legal reasons for eviction in California (just cause under AB 1482)

The Tenant Protection Act of 2019, known as AB 1482, says that once a tenant has lived in a covered unit for a while, the landlord can end the tenancy only for a just cause listed in the law (Civil Code 1946.2). SB 567 tightened the rules in April 2024. Many cities have their own, stricter lists.

Who is covered

The just cause rules apply after the tenant has lawfully lived in the unit for 12 months, or 24 months if another adult tenant joined the lease before the first 12 months were up. Common exemptions include:

• Housing built in the last 15 years
• Single-family homes and condos owned by individuals (not corporations or REITs), if the lease includes the exact exemption notice the law requires
• A duplex where the owner lives in the other unit
• Rooms in the owner's own home where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner
• Deed-restricted affordable housing, hotels, dorms and certain care facilities

The same exemptions mostly match the rent cap rules in our AB 1482 guide.

At-fault just causes

These are reasons based on what the tenant did:

• Not paying rent
• Breaking a material term of the lease, after a written notice giving the tenant a chance to fix it
• Maintaining or allowing a nuisance
• Committing waste, meaning serious damage to the property
• Refusing, after the lease ends, to sign a new lease with similar terms when asked in writing
• Criminal activity on the property, or criminal threats directed at the owner or agent
• Assigning or subletting in violation of the lease
• Refusing the landlord lawful entry
• Using the home for an unlawful purpose
• An employee, agent or licensee not leaving after their job ends
• Not leaving after the tenant gave written notice of moving out

At-fault cases still go through the normal eviction process, starting with the right notice.

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No-fault just causes

• Owner move-in. The owner, or their spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents or grandparents, intends to live there. For leases signed on or after July 1, 2020, the lease must allow this, or the tenant must agree in writing.
• Withdrawing the unit from the rental market.
• A government or court order requiring the tenant to leave.
• Demolition or substantial remodel. The work must replace or significantly modify major systems or abate hazardous materials, need permits, and be impossible to do safely with the tenant there for at least 30 days.

Relocation assistance for no-fault endings

For a no-fault ending, the landlord must either pay the tenant one month's rent as relocation assistance within 15 days of serving the notice, or waive the final month's rent in writing. The notice must tell the tenant about this right. Some cities require more.

The 2024 changes (SB 567)

• Owner move-in: the owner or relative must move in within 90 days after the tenant leaves and live there as their primary residence for at least 12 months. If not, the owner must offer the unit back to the tenant at the same rent and terms and pay reasonable moving costs.
• Remodels: the notice must describe the work, include copies of the permits, give the expected completion date, and explain the tenant's right to come back if the work doesn't happen.
• Penalties: a landlord who violates the rules can owe actual damages, attorney's fees and, for willful violations, up to three times the damages. The Attorney General and city attorneys can enforce the law.

Tenants who aren't covered

If a tenant has lived there less than a year, or the unit is exempt, a month-to-month tenancy can usually end with 30 or 60 days' notice without a stated reason. It can never be for a discriminatory or retaliatory reason, and city rules may still require just cause.

Last checked October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can be stricter, so check the current law or ask a California landlord-tenant attorney before acting.