California Eviction Laws — A Landlord's Guide (2026)
California has the strictest eviction process in the US. Procedure errors void months of work. AB 1482 adds just-cause requirements for most multi-family.
Statute: Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1161-1179
Stop tracking eviction laws by hand
Proprietio handles eviction laws automatically — deadlines, notices, and state-aware lease terms built into rent collection, leases, and maintenance. One flat plan, all features included.
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The 3 notice types
3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (non-payment) and 3-Day Notice to Perform or Quit (other curable breaches); the 3 days exclude Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays (CCP § 1161). Ending a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days' notice under 1 year of occupancy, 60 days at 1 year or more (Civ. Code § 1946.1).
AB 1482 just-cause
Applies to multi-family 15+ years old. Eviction only for: non-payment, lease breach, criminal activity, refusal to renew similar lease, OR no-fault (owner move-in, demolition, Ellis Act withdrawal). No-fault evictions require 1 month's rent in relocation assistance.
Service rules
Serve the tenant, and any subtenant in actual occupation. CCP § 1162: personal delivery; if the tenant is absent from home and work, leave it with a person of suitable age at either place and mail a copy; if neither place can be found or no such person is there, post it in a conspicuous place on the property, hand a copy to someone living there if anyone can be found, and mail a copy. The tenant cannot be charged for service (CCP § 1161).
Filing the unlawful detainer
After notice expires, file UD case in superior court. Tenant has 5 court days to answer. Trial scheduled within 20 days. Average CA eviction: 30-60 days from notice to lockout.
Common mistakes that void notices
(1) Wrong date format. (2) Notice period miscount (excludes day of service, includes deadline). (3) Missing landlord signature. (4) Missing required statutory language. (5) Service to wrong person.
Stop tracking California eviction notices manually.
Proprietio handles California-specific eviction notices automatically. State-compliant, one click, no spreadsheet required.
- Auto-generates Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1161 3-day, 30-day, and 60-day notices based on tenancy length
- Tracks AB 1482 just-cause requirements + relocation-assistance triggers
- Computes the unlawful-detainer timeline including service rules
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