Just Cause Eviction — California Civil Code § 1946.2

California's just-cause eviction protection lives in Civil Code § 1946.2, part of the AB 1482 Tenant Protection Act. Once a tenant has lawfully occupied a unit for 12 months (or 24 months in some mixed-occupancy situations), a landlord can only terminate the tenancy for one of the reasons the statute lists. Reasons fall into two buckets: at-fault just cause and no-fault just cause.

The distinction matters because at-fault terminations require notice and, for curable violations, a chance to fix the problem, while no-fault terminations require relocation assistance equal to one month's rent. The same coverage and exemption questions as the rent cap apply here, which is why GoCodebook checks whether § 1946.2 governs a given address before a notice is served.

At-fault causes are tied to the tenant's conduct: non-payment of rent, a material breach of the lease, committing waste or a nuisance, criminal activity on the property, refusing to sign a similar renewal lease, refusing the landlord lawful access, or using the unit for an unlawful purpose.

For curable violations, the landlord must first serve a notice giving the tenant a chance to cure (for example, a 3-day notice to pay rent or correct a lease violation). Only if the tenant fails to cure can the landlord proceed. This contrasts with a no-fault Ellis Act withdrawal, where the tenant has done nothing wrong.

The four no-fault grounds are: (1) owner or family member move-in; (2) withdrawal of the unit from the rental market (often via the Ellis Act); (3) compliance with a government or court order to vacate; and (4) intent to substantially remodel or demolish the unit.

For any no-fault termination, the landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month's rent, either as a direct payment or a rent waiver, and it must be provided within 15 days of serving the notice. This sits on top of the rent cap — both are part of the same statewide framework.

The SB 567 (Homelessness Prevention Act), effective April 1, 2024, narrowed the no-fault grounds. For owner move-in, the owner or qualifying family member must actually move in within 90 days and use the unit as their primary residence for at least 12 continuous months. For substantial remodel, the work must be permitted, major work — cosmetic upgrades no longer qualify — and the notice must describe it specifically.

SB 567 also added penalties and damages for landlords who invoke a no-fault ground in bad faith, and gave tenants (and the Attorney General) stronger enforcement tools. Because compliance is now highly fact-specific, GoCodebook gives a cited answer before a notice goes out.