How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in California?
In California, the notice required to end a tenancy or decline to renew depends on how long the tenant has lived there: Less than 12 months — 30 days; 12 months or more — 60 days. Once a tenant has lived there twelve months, the Tenant Protection Act (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2) requires a just cause to end most tenancies. This is Cal. Civ. Code §§ 827, 1946.1, 1954; CCP § 1161.
| What | California |
|---|---|
| Less than 12 months | 30 days |
| 12 months or more | 60 days |
Notes
A rent increase of 10 % or less — counting every increase in the previous twelve months — needs 30 days; more than 10 % needs 90. Month-to-month terminations need 30 days under a year, 60 days after. Entry: 24 hours written. Late rent: 3-day pay-or-quit.
Source
Cal. Civ. Code §§ 827, 1946.1, 1954; CCP § 1161
Read the statute in the California Codes (California Legislative Information): leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.
Checked against the statute on September 11, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
Seayora computes the notice this rule requires from the tenancy’s own dates — for a renewal offer, a rent increase or a served notice — and will not serve one that is short unless the owner records a reason. The answer above is the rule the product enforces.
Guides on this rule
- Automatic Lease Renewal Clauses: The Notice That Makes Them Work — In New York and Wisconsin an automatic renewal clause binds a tenant only if the landlord sends a reminder 15 to 30 days before the tenant’s notice deadline.
- Can a Landlord Send an Eviction Notice by Email or Text? — The federal E-SIGN Act excludes eviction notices, so state law decides how a notice to pay or quit must be served. California, New York and Florida rules.
- Does a Landlord Have to Re-Rent When a Tenant Breaks a Lease? — The duty to mitigate after a tenant leaves early in Texas, New York, California and Washington, and Florida’s four options including a two-month fee.
- Ending a Lease Early Because of Domestic Violence: State Rules — How tenants who are victims of domestic violence can end a lease early in California, New York, Texas and Washington, and what a landlord must do.
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The same question in other states
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