Does a landlord in Palo Alto need a reason to evict?

City rule: a tenancy may end only for just cause after 6 months of continuous, lawful occupancy, in all rental units except listed exclusions.

Eviction and just cause in Palo Alto: the local rules

Palo Alto code What Palo Alto's code adds
When protection starts	6 months of continuous, lawful occupancy. Applies: Covered units; if an adult renter is added before anyone has 12 months, all need 6 months or one needs 12. § 9.68.040 · code text after a renter has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential rental unit for 6 months, the landlord of the residential rental unit shall not terminate the tenancy without just cause All renters have lived there 6 months or more. Applies: When adult renters are added to the lease before an existing renter reaches 12 months. § 9.68.040 · code text All of the renters have continuously and lawfully occupied the residential rental unit for 6 months or more. At least 1 renter has lived there 12 months or more. Applies: When adult renters are added to the lease before an existing renter reaches 12 months. § 9.68.040 · code text One or more renters have continuously and lawfully occupied the residential rental unit for 12 months or more.
Units covered	All residential rental units. Applies: General rule, except for the listed exclusions. § 9.68.040 · code text This section shall apply to all residential rental units, except not any of the following: Not covered: transient and tourist hotel stays. Applies: As defined in California Civil Code § 1940(b). § 9.68.040 · code text Transient and tourist hotel occupancy as defined in subdivision (b) of Section 1940 of the California Civil Code. Not covered: housing in nonprofit hospitals, religious facilities, extended care facilities, licensed elderly residential care, or adult residential facilities. § 9.68.040 · code text Housing accommodations in a nonprofit hospital, religious facility, extended care facility, licensed residential care facility for the elderly, as defined in Section 1569.2 of the California Health and Safety Code, or an adult residential facility Not covered: dorms owned and run by colleges or by K-12 schools. § 9.68.040 · code text Dormitories owned and operated by an institution of higher education or a kindergarten and grades 1 to 12, inclusive, school. Not covered: housing where the renter shares a bathroom or kitchen with the owner. Applies: The owner lives in the unit as their main home. § 9.68.040 · code text Housing accommodations in which the renter shares bathroom or kitchen facilities with the owner who maintains their principal residence at the residential rental unit. Not covered: single-family homes the owner lives in. § 9.68.040 · code text Single-family owner-occupied residences. Not covered: a building with 2 separate units where the owner lives in one. Applies: Owner lived there as main home when the tenancy began and still does; neither unit is an ADU or junior ADU. § 9.68.040 · code text A property containing two separate dwelling units within a single structure 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, and neither unit is an accessory dwelling unit or a junior accessory dwelling unit. Not covered: a unit that can be sold separately from any other unit. Applies: Only if the owner is not a REIT, corporation, LLC with a corporate member, or mobilehome park management, and renters got written exemption notice. § 9.68.040 · code text A residential rental unit that is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit, provided that both subparagraphs (A) and (B) below apply: Not covered: affordable housing restricted or subsidized for very low-, low-, or moderate-income households. Applies: Restricted by deed, a government regulatory agreement, another recorded document, or a housing subsidy agreement. § 9.68.040 · code text Housing restricted by deed, regulatory restriction contained in an agreement with a government agency, or other recorded document as affordable housing for persons and families of very low, low, or moderate income

Where Palo Alto'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)

Eviction and just cause in Palo Alto

Key points

What Palo Alto's code says

The California rule underneath

Who this affects

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