California notice periods
A California landlord must give 30 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and the tenant must give the same. The state requires a lawful reason (just cause) to end most tenancies, so notice alone is not enough. A rent increase needs 30 days’ notice. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 3-court day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The California rules in detail
Landlord: 30 days if the tenant has resided in the unit less than 1 year, 60 days if 1 year or more (30 days also allowed when selling to an owner-occupant under § 1946.1(d)). Tenant: 30 days (at least as long as the rental period). Where § 1946.2 just-cause applies, the landlord must also state a just cause.
30 days' written notice if the increase, combined with all other increases in the prior 12 months, is 10% or less; 90 days if more than 10% (§ 827(b)). Statewide rent cap under Civ. Code § 1947.12 limits annual increases to 5% + CPI, max 10%, for covered units.
3 court days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction. Because the period is counted in court days, weekends and holidays extend it.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- California requires a lawful reason to end most tenancies. The notice must state the reason, and some reasons carry longer periods or relocation assistance.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Source: Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1; § 827(b); § 1946.2; Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2).
Related California rules
- Late fees: No statutory dollar or percentage cap and no statutory grace period. A late-fee clause in a residential lease is a liquidated-damages provision that is void unless it would be impracticable or extremely difficult to fix actual damages, so the fee must be a reasonable pre-estimate of the landlord's actual costs (Civ. Code § 1671(d); Orozco v. Casimiro (2004)). Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: 1 month's rent (2 months if the landlord is a natural person or an LLC owned entirely by natural persons that owns no more than 2 residential properties totaling 4 or fewer units; service members may never be charged more than 1 month); returned 21 calendar days after the tenant vacates (itemized statement plus any refund). Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: California landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in California?
30 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. Landlord: 30 days if the tenant has resided in the unit less than 1 year, 60 days if 1 year or more (30 days also allowed when selling to an owner-occupant under § 1946.1(d)). Tenant: 30 days (at least as long as the rental period). Where § 1946.2 just-cause applies, the landlord must also state a just cause. The landlord also needs a lawful reason.
How much notice does a tenant have to give in California?
30 days’ written notice on a month-to-month tenancy. A fixed-term lease ends on its own date unless it says otherwise.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in California?
30 days. 30 days' written notice if the increase, combined with all other increases in the prior 12 months, is 10% or less; 90 days if more than 10% (§ 827(b)). Statewide rent cap under Civ. Code § 1947.12 limits annual increases to 5% + CPI, max 10%, for covered units.
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in California?
3 court days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.