Santa Cruz County · Renting & eviction
Notices in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz 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 Cruz County Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
What Santa Cruz County's code says
| What a notice must say |
|
|---|
The California rule underneath
Where Santa Cruz County's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies.
| 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
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a Santa Cruz County landlord have to give?
Santa Cruz County's code: The tenant's right to receive interest on the security deposit each year. (Written notice when the lease is made, from landlords covered by the county's deposit interest rules.) (§ 8.42.070); The interest rate the security deposit will earn. (Written notice when the lease is made, from landlords covered by the county's deposit interest rules.) (§ 8.42.070). 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.
Ask about a specific Santa Cruz County property
Ask GoCodebook how Santa Cruz County's notices rules apply to your situation and get an answer that cites the section.
Ask your question