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Bishop · Renting & eviction

Eviction and just cause in Bishop

Bishop's just-cause rule protects tenants after 12 months of continuous, lawful occupancy; causes include unpaid rent, lease breach and nuisance. Bishop's no-fault causes are owner or close family move-in, leaving the rental market, government vacate orders, and demolition or substantial remodel. Bishop's rule does not cover housing with a certificate of occupancy from the last 15 years or certain owner-occupied homes and duplexes.

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Key points

  • Just cause: Bishop's just-cause rule protects tenants after 12 months of continuous, lawful occupancy; causes include unpaid rent, lease breach and nuisance.
  • No-fault causes: Bishop's no-fault causes are owner or close family move-in, leaving the rental market, government vacate orders, and demolition or substantial remodel.
  • Exempt housing: Bishop's rule does not cover housing with a certificate of occupancy from the last 15 years or certain owner-occupied homes and duplexes.

Each rule below links to the section of the Bishop Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Bishop's code says

Bishop code What Bishop's code adds
When protection starts
  • After 12 months.
    Applies: Tenant has lived in the property continuously and lawfully.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate the tenancy without just cause
  • Then protection starts only when all tenants reach 12 months, or at least 1 tenant reaches 24 months.
    Applies: When adult tenants were added to the lease before an existing tenant reached 24 months.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    All of the tenants have continuously and lawfully occupied the residential real property for 12 months or more.
Allowed at-fault reasons
  • Default in payment of rent; breach of a material lease term; nuisance; waste; refusal, after written request, to sign a lease extension or renewal of similar duration and terms (lease ended on or after January 1, 2020); criminal activity by the tenant on the property or common areas, or criminal activity or a criminal threat on or off the property directed at the owner or owner's agent; assigning or subletting in violation of the lease; refusal to allow lawful entry; using the premises for an unlawful purpose; failure of an employee, agent or licensee to vacate after termination; failure to deliver possession after giving written notice or an accepted written offer to surrender
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    At-fault just cause, which is any of the following:
Units covered
  • Not covered: hotel and tourist stays.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Transient and tourist hotel occupancy as defined in Civil Code § 1940(b).
  • Not covered: nonprofit hospitals, religious, extended-care, licensed elderly-care, or adult residential facilities.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Housing accommodations in a nonprofit hospital, religious facility, extended care facility, licensed residential care facility for the elderly, as defined in Health and Safety Code § 1569.2, or an adult residential facility
  • Not covered: dorms run by colleges or K-12 schools.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Dormitories owned and operated by an institution of higher education or a kindergarten and grades one to 12, inclusive, school.
  • Not covered: housing where the tenant shares a bathroom or kitchen with an owner who lives there.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Housing accommodations in which the tenant shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner who maintains their principal residence at the residential real property.
  • Not covered: owner-occupied single-family homes renting no more than 2 units or bedrooms, including ADUs or junior ADUs.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Single-family owner-occupied residences, including a residence in which the owner-occupant rents or leases no more than two units or bedrooms, including, but not limited to, an accessory dwelling unit or a junior accessory dwelling unit.
  • Not covered: a duplex where the owner lived in one unit when the tenancy began and still does.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    A duplex in which the owner occupied one of the units as the owner's principal place of residence at the beginning of the tenancy, so long as the owner continues in occupancy.
  • Not covered: housing that got its certificate of occupancy within the last 15 years.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Housing that has been issued a certificate of occupancy within the previous 15 years.
Allowed no-fault reasons
  • The owner or a close family member plans to move in.
    Applies: Owner, spouse, partner, children, grandchildren, parents or grandparents; mobile home leases from July 1, 2020 or July 1, 2022 need written consent or lease clause.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or their spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents.
  • Taking the property off the rental market.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Withdrawal of the residential real property from the rental market.
  • Complying with a government or court order to vacate, a habitability order, or a local law requiring vacancy.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    The owner complying with any of the following:
  • Plans to demolish or substantially remodel the property.
    Applies: Substantial remodel: permitted structural, electrical, plumbing or mechanical work or hazardous-material abatement, unsafe with tenant there, needing them out 30+ days; cosmetic work excluded.
    § 9.28.020 · code text
    Intent to demolish or to substantially remodel the residential real property.

The California rule underneath

Where Bishop's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see Just-cause eviction in California.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Just cause required
After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice
Applies: Covered units only (§ 1946.2(e) exempts, among others, housing built in the last 15 years and single-family homes or condos not owned by a corporation or REIT when the tenant got the required notice). If new adult tenants joined before anyone reached 24 months, all tenants need 12 months or one needs 24.
Civ. Code § 1946.2(a)
Chance to cure first
For a curable lease violation, the owner must first serve a notice to cure before a 3-day notice to quit
Civ. Code § 1946.2(c)
Just cause — new construction exemption
Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling)
Applies: Mobilehomes excepted.
Civ. Code § 1946.2(e)(7)
Just cause law sunset
§ 1946.2 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended
Civ. Code § 1946.2(n)

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

Does a landlord in Bishop need a reason to evict?

Bishop's just-cause rule protects tenants after 12 months of continuous, lawful occupancy; causes include unpaid rent, lease breach and nuisance. Bishop's no-fault causes are owner or close family move-in, leaving the rental market, government vacate orders, and demolition or substantial remodel. Bishop's rule does not cover housing with a certificate of occupancy from the last 15 years or certain owner-occupied homes and duplexes.

General information, not legal advice.

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More on renting & eviction in Bishop

All renting & eviction rules in Bishop

Just-cause eviction in California

Bishop Municipal Code — full text