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Santa Barbara County · Renting & eviction

Notices in Santa Barbara County

Santa Barbara County's own rules on notices, with the code text for every value, and the state law underneath.

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

What Santa Barbara County's code says

Santa Barbara County code What Santa Barbara County's code adds
What a notice must say
  • Full facts and circumstances constituting the at-fault or no-fault just cause
    Applies: Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit
    § 44-23 · code text
    The written notice to terminate tenancy shall state in full the facts and circumstances constituting the at-fault just cause or no-fault just cause for termination.
  • Supplemental notice of the right to and amount of relocation assistance
    Applies: Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit; Written notice to terminate tenancy based upon no-fault just cause
    § 44-23 · code text
    A written notice to terminate tenancy based upon no-fault just cause shall be accompanied by a supplemental notice informing each qualified tenant of their right to and the amount of a relocation assistance payment required by this chapter.
  • Notice of the violation and an opportunity to cure
    Applies: Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit; Before issuing a just-cause termination notice for a curable lease violation
    § 44-23 · code text
    Before the owner of a rental unit issues a notice to terminate a tenancy for just cause that is a curable lease violation, the owner shall first give notice of the violation to each qualified tenant with an opportunity to cure the violation pursuant to Paragraph (3) of Section 1161 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Notice to end a tenancy
  • three-day
    Applies: Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit; If a curable lease violation is not cured within the time period set forth in the notice
    § 44-23 · code text
    If the violation is not cured within the time period set forth in the notice, a three-day notice to quit without an opportunity to cure may thereafter be served to terminate the tenancy.

The California rule underneath

Where Santa Barbara County's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Notice of a rent increase
At least 30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less; at least 90 days for an increase of more than 10%
Applies: The 10% is measured against the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before the increase, counting all increases in that period together.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (landlord)
60 days' notice; 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year
Applies: Where the unit is covered by just cause (Civ. Code § 1946.2) or a local ordinance, the notice must also state a qualifying cause.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (tenant)
At least as long as the rental period (one month for a month-to-month tenancy)
30-day notice when the unit is sold to an owner-occupant
30 days' notice when a separately sellable unit is in escrow to a natural person who will live there for at least a year
Applies: Notice within 120 days of opening escrow, given once, and all § 1946.1(d) conditions met.
Notice to pay rent or quit
3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, stating the amount due and how to pay
Applies: May be served any time within one year after the rent became due.
Notice to cure a lease violation or quit
3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, to perform the broken lease term or leave
No fee for serving notices
A landlord may not charge the tenant a fee for serving or posting a notice

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a Santa Barbara County landlord have to give?

Santa Barbara County's code: Full facts and circumstances constituting the at-fault or no-fault just cause (Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit) (§ 44-23); Supplemental notice of the right to and amount of relocation assistance (Qualified tenant with at least twelve months of continuous lawful occupancy in a covered rental unit; Written notice to terminate tenancy based upon no-fault just cause) (§ 44-23). State law: At least 30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less; at least 90 days for an increase of more than 10% (Civ. Code § 827(b)(2), (b)(3)(A)).

General information, not legal advice.

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