Local code · Sunnyvale

Sunnyvale — Residential Tenant Protections

Q: When must a Sunnyvale landlord pay no-fault relocation assistance?

The owner must provide one-half of the relocation assistance within 15 calendar days after serving the termination notice. The remaining half may be a qualifying waiver of final-month rent or cash or money order paid no later than the move-out date. § 19.71.050(c)

The Sunnyvale Residential Tenant Protections, explained in plain English with the controlling citations.

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Quick answer

In Sunnyvale, a covered no-fault just-cause eviction requires relocation assistance equal to 2× the tenant’s monthly rent, with one-half paid within 15 calendar days after the termination notice. The owner must first give written relocation-benefit notice at least 30 days before the termination notice; noncompliance makes that notice void. § 19.71.040; § 19.71.050

Last reviewed: September 21, 2026 · AI-generated analysis · General information, not legal advice · details

Compiled from Sunnyvale's adopted code with AI research tools and grounded in the sources cited below. Verify with Sunnyvale planning staff before relying on it.

Overview

Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.71, Residential Tenant Protections, establishes local protections for covered residential tenants, including just-cause termination rules, enhanced no-fault relocation assistance, notice duties, anti-retaliation protection, and tenant remedies. The chapter adopts California Civil Code Section 1946.2 by reference, but extends coverage to residential property regardless of when its certificate of occupancy was issued, including property occupied within its first 15 years. § 19.71.010; § 19.71.030

Sunnyvale’s local protections are intended to be more protective than the incorporated statewide baseline. The chapter does not establish rent-control limits, zoning permissions, construction standards, or a separate list of allowable eviction reasons; those subjects are either incorporated from state law or outside Chapter 19.71. § 19.71.010; § 19.71.030

For a covered no-fault just-cause eviction, the owner must give written information about relocation assistance at least 30 days before serving the termination notice. Failure to strictly comply makes the termination notice void. § 19.71.040

Coverage and Key Definitions

A tenant is an individual or household lawfully occupying covered residential real property, including a subtenant. A tenancy includes lawful occupancy under either a lease or sublease. § 19.71.050

An owner is a person who has the right to offer residential property for rent, whether acting personally or through an agent; the term also includes a predecessor in interest. § 19.71.020

For Chapter 19.71, rent is broader than the base monthly payment. It includes periodic payments and nonmonetary consideration, as well as attendant housing services and charges tied to occupancy, including parking, utilities included in the amount paid to the owner, pets, furniture, and other benefits or facilities. § 19.71.020 For local rules on Sunnyvale Parking, see the separate parking topic.

Residential real property includes a dwelling unit intended for human habitation, including a non-owner-occupied dwelling or unit in a mobile home park. The definition excludes the residential properties and circumstances identified in Civil Code Section 1946.2(e)(1) through (6). § 19.71.020 Questions about a park’s redevelopment or closure are addressed separately under Sunnyvale Mobile Home Park Conversions.

Just-Cause Termination Rule

Sunnyvale adopts Civil Code Section 1946.2 by reference, as amended over time, except for Civil Code Section 1946.2(e)(7) and provisions that directly conflict with Chapter 19.71. § 19.71.030(a)

The chapter defines just cause as the at-fault and no-fault causes stated in Civil Code Section 1946.2(b)(1) and (b)(2). The specific state-law causes are not reproduced in the source materials; confirm the currently effective incorporated state provision before relying on a particular termination ground. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.030(a)

The key Sunnyvale coverage expansion is timing: Chapter 19.71 applies regardless of the certificate-of-occupancy date, including housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the prior 15 years. § 19.71.010; § 19.71.030(b)

Properties and tenancy types excluded from this chapter

Chapter 19.71 does not apply to a short-term rental as defined in Sunnyvale Municipal Code Chapter 19.76. § 19.71.030(c) For separate rules on Sunnyvale Short-Term Rentals, use that topic page.

The chapter also excludes the property types and residential circumstances cross-referenced in Civil Code Section 1946.2(e)(1) through (6). Whether a particular unit fits one of those exclusions cannot be confirmed from the source materials alone. § 19.71.020

No-Fault Evictions: Notice and Relocation Assistance

An owner pursuing a covered no-fault just-cause eviction must provide relocation assistance. The assistance equals two times the tenant’s monthly rent in effect when the owner issues the notice of intent to terminate. § 19.71.050(a)–(b)

Before serving the termination notice, the owner must provide written notice describing available relocation assistance at least 30 days in advance. The sole stated exception is when a government-agency order requires the tenant to vacate on a time-sensitive basis. § 19.71.040(a)

The owner must deliver one-half of the relocation assistance within 15 calendar days after serving the termination notice. The other half may be delivered as either:

A waiver of rent equal to one month for the final month of tenancy, provided the tenant has not already paid that final month’s rent; or
Cash or money order no later than the date the tenant vacates. § 19.71.050(c)

If the owner chooses the final-month rent waiver, the relocation-benefits notice must state both the amount waived and that no rent is due for the final month. § 19.71.050(c)

Decision point	Sunnyvale requirement	Code Reference
Covered termination standard	Just cause incorporates the at-fault and no-fault categories in Civil Code Section 1946.2	§ 19.71.020; § 19.71.030(a)
Certificate-of-occupancy timing	Protections apply regardless of occupancy-certificate date, including property issued within the prior 15 years	§ 19.71.010; § 19.71.030(b)
Advance relocation-benefit notice	Written notice at least 30 days before a no-fault termination notice	§ 19.71.040(a)
Consequence of notice noncompliance	Termination notice is void if the owner does not strictly comply	§ 19.71.040(b)
Total relocation assistance	2× monthly rent in effect when notice of intent is issued	§ 19.71.050(b)
Initial payment timing	One-half due within 15 calendar days after service of termination notice	§ 19.71.050(c)
Final payment method	Final-month rent waiver or cash/money order by move-out	§ 19.71.050(c)

Lease, Rights Notice, and Posting Duties

Owners of property subject to Chapter 19.71 must provide tenants written notice of their rights. For tenancies that begin or renew on or after the ordinance’s effective date, the notice must be provided as a lease or rental-agreement addendum, or as a written notice signed by the tenant with a copy given to the tenant. § 19.71.070(a)(1)

For tenancies existing before the ordinance’s effective date, the owner was required to provide written notice within 60 days after that effective date, or provide it as a lease or rental-agreement addendum. § 19.71.070(a)(2)

The lease provision or written rights notice must use at least 12-point type. Delivery must track how the application and lease were processed: written when those records are written, electronic when processed electronically, or both when both methods are used; delivery is also subject to Civil Code Section 1632. § 19.71.070(b)–(c)

Owners must also prominently post a summary of Chapter 19.71 and the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 in conspicuous, owner-controlled areas where tenants can readily see and read it. The posting must be at least 12-point type and include Sunnyvale Housing Division contact information. § 19.71.070(d)

Chapter 19.71 refers to a required offer of a written lease with a minimum term of one year, but the operative language of § 19.71.060 is not included in the source materials. The scope, timing, and rejection procedure for that lease offer are therefore Not found in source materials. § 19.71.090

Anti-Retaliation, Nonwaiver, and Remedies

An owner may not retaliate against a tenant who lawfully and peaceably exercises legal rights. Prohibited conduct includes increasing a rental amount, reducing a service, causing the tenant to involuntarily quit, or discriminating because the tenant used a Chapter 19.71 remedy. § 19.71.080

A tenant generally cannot waive Chapter 19.71 rights before those rights can be exercised. A purported advance waiver is void and unenforceable, except for a rejection of a qualifying written lease under the procedures referenced in § 19.71.060. § 19.71.090

A residential tenant may bring a civil proceeding for injunctive relief, money damages, and other relief the court considers appropriate. Chapter 19.71 also gives the tenant a defense in an unlawful-detainer action that violates the chapter; those remedies are additional to other remedies available under local, county, state, or federal law. § 19.71.100

Zoning-District Relationship

Chapter 19.71 is a tenant-protection chapter, not a district-specific land-use regulation. It does not assign different relocation amounts, notice periods, or termination standards to Sunnyvale’s residential districts, such as R-0, R-1, R-1.5, R-1.7/PD, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, or R-MH. § 19.16.020; § 19.71.030

District grouping	Chapter 19.71 treatment	Code Reference
R-0 and R-1	No district-specific tenant-protection rule; coverage turns on the property and tenancy definitions, exclusions, and short-term-rental exclusion	§ 19.71.020; § 19.71.030
R-1.5, R-1.7/PD, and R-2	No separate Chapter 19.71 notice, relocation, or remedy standard	§ 19.71.040–.100
R-3, R-4, and R-5	No separate Chapter 19.71 notice, relocation, or remedy standard	§ 19.71.040–.100
R-MH	A non-owner-occupied mobile-home-park dwelling or unit can fit the definition of residential real property; exclusions must still be evaluated	§ 19.71.020

Permitted uses, dimensional controls, and approval processes for those districts belong to Sunnyvale Zoning, Sunnyvale Land Use, and Sunnyvale Development Standards, rather than Chapter 19.71. A rental unit’s development approval or building compliance does not itself answer whether its tenancy is covered; verify the tenancy facts and applicable exclusions.

Likewise, Chapter 19.71 does not regulate Sunnyvale Design Review, Sunnyvale ADUs, or the California Building Standards Code. Those subjects should not be used as substitutes for analyzing Sunnyvale’s just-cause, notice, and relocation rules.

Information Gaps

The complete text of § 19.71.060, including the exact written-lease offer and minimum-term procedure, is Not found in source materials.
The detailed at-fault and no-fault just-cause categories are incorporated from Civil Code Section 1946.2 and are not reproduced in the source materials. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.030(a)
The specific exclusions referenced in Civil Code Section 1946.2(e)(1) through (6) are Not found in source materials. § 19.71.020
Whether a particular unit, owner, tenancy, or termination notice fits an exclusion is parcel- and fact-specific. Verify with the jurisdiction and applicable legal counsel.

Checklist

Confirm that the occupant is a lawful tenant or subtenant and that the unit is residential real property as Chapter 19.71 defines those terms. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.050
Determine whether a Civil Code Section 1946.2(e)(1) through (6) exclusion may apply; the exact exclusions are Not found in source materials. § 19.71.020
Confirm that the tenancy is not a Chapter 19.76 short-term rental. § 19.71.030(c)
For any planned termination, identify the incorporated just-cause basis and confirm whether it is at-fault or no-fault. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.030(a)
For a no-fault termination, give written relocation-assistance notice at least 30 days before issuing the termination notice, unless the stated government-order exception applies. § 19.71.040(a)
Calculate relocation assistance as two times monthly rent in effect when the notice of intent is issued. § 19.71.050(b)
Pay one-half of relocation assistance within 15 calendar days after service of the termination notice. § 19.71.050(c)
Provide the remaining half through a qualifying final-month rent waiver or cash/money order by move-out, and state the waiver details in the relocation-benefits notice if using that option. § 19.71.050(c)
Give the tenant-rights notice in the required form, delivery method, and at least 12-point type. § 19.71.070(a)–(c)
Post the required tenant-protections summary in a conspicuous, tenant-visible owner-controlled area using at least 12-point type. § 19.71.070(d)

Risks & Ambiguities

Issue	Why it matters	What to verify
Treating a no-fault case like an ordinary termination	Missing the advance relocation-benefit notice voids the termination notice	Whether the termination is a no-fault just-cause eviction and whether written notice was delivered at least 30 days beforehand. § 19.71.040
Understating “rent”	Relocation assistance is based on monthly rent, which can include more than base rent	Included charges for parking, utilities, pets, furniture, services, and other occupancy benefits. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.050
Paying relocation assistance too late	The first half has a fixed statutory deadline	Service date of the termination notice and proof that one-half was provided within 15 calendar days. § 19.71.050(c)
Assuming new housing is exempt	Sunnyvale expressly extends protection to property regardless of occupancy-certificate date, including within 15 years	Certificate-of-occupancy history and any separate exclusion that may apply. § 19.71.010; § 19.71.030(b)
Relying on a tenant waiver	Advance waivers are generally void and unenforceable	Whether the document purports to waive a Chapter 19.71 right, and whether the limited written-lease rejection exception applies. § 19.71.090
Retaliatory response to a tenant complaint	The tenant may seek relief and assert a defense to an unlawful-detainer action	Rent changes, service reductions, discriminatory acts, or conduct intended to force the tenant out after rights are exercised. § 19.71.080; § 19.71.100
Assuming zoning district determines protection	Chapter 19.71 has no separate protection schedule for R-0 through R-MH districts	Property use, tenant status, short-term-rental status, and applicable statutory exclusions. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.030

Plain-English Summary

In Sunnyvale, a covered residential tenant generally cannot be terminated without an incorporated just-cause basis, and a covered no-fault eviction requires two months’ rent in relocation assistance, advance written notice, and timely payment. An owner who skips the required no-fault relocation notice risks having the termination notice declared void, while a tenant who exercises Chapter 19.71 rights is protected from retaliation. § 19.71.040; § 19.71.050; § 19.71.080

Source References

Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.010 — title, findings, intent, and enhanced local protections.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.020 — definitions of just cause, owner, rent, and residential real property.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.030 — adoption of Civil Code Section 1946.2, certificate-of-occupancy coverage, and short-term-rental exclusion.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.040 — notice for no-fault terminations and void-notice consequence.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.050 — tenant and tenancy definitions; no-fault relocation-assistance amount and timing.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.070 — tenant-rights notice and posting duties.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.080 — prohibition on owner retaliation.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.090 — nonwaiver rule.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.71.100 — civil remedies and unlawful-detainer defense.
Sunnyvale Municipal Code, § 19.16.020 — Sunnyvale zoning-district designations.
City of Sunnyvale Municipal Code source: https://ecode360.com/SU5020

Sources

Source passages

Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.100 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.020 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.010 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.050 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.050 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.040 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.090 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.070 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.16.020 Medium relevance
Sunnyvale Zoning Code § 19.71.080 Medium relevance

Cited sections

Official Sunnyvale code library

Frequently asked questions

Does Sunnyvale require just cause to evict a tenant from a newer apartment building?

Yes, Chapter 19.71 applies to covered residential real property regardless of when the certificate of occupancy was issued, including property issued a certificate of occupancy within the prior 15 years. Sunnyvale incorporates the just-cause framework in Civil Code Section 1946.2, subject to the chapter’s stated exclusions and conflicts. § 19.71.010; § 19.71.030

How much relocation assistance is required for a no-fault eviction in Sunnyvale?

For a covered no-fault just-cause eviction, the owner must provide relocation assistance equal to two times the tenant’s monthly rent in effect when the owner issued the notice of intent to terminate. Rent can include qualifying recurring payments and occupancy-related benefits, not solely stated base rent. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.050(b)

When must a Sunnyvale landlord pay no-fault relocation assistance?

The owner must provide one-half of the relocation assistance within 15 calendar days after serving the termination notice. The remaining half may be a qualifying waiver of final-month rent or cash or money order paid no later than the move-out date. § 19.71.050(c)

How much notice must a Sunnyvale landlord give before a no-fault eviction notice?

Before issuing a no-fault termination notice, the owner must provide written notice of available relocation assistance at least 30 days in advance. A time-sensitive government-agency order requiring vacancy is the stated exception. § 19.71.040(a)

Is a Sunnyvale no-fault eviction notice valid if the landlord did not give relocation-assistance information?

No. An owner’s failure to strictly comply with Sunnyvale’s no-fault relocation-notice requirement makes the termination notice void. This is why the timing and written content of the preliminary relocation notice are critical. § 19.71.040

Can a Sunnyvale tenant waive Chapter 19.71 eviction and relocation rights in a lease?

Generally no. A purported waiver of Chapter 19.71 rights made before the rights may be exercised is void and unenforceable as against public policy. The chapter identifies a limited exception involving rejection of a written lease with a minimum one-year term under procedures referenced in § 19.71.060; those procedures are not found in source materials. § 19.71.090

Are Sunnyvale landlords required to give tenants a written notice of tenant-protection rights?

Yes. For new or renewed tenancies on or after the ordinance’s effective date, the owner must provide the rights notice as a lease addendum or a signed written notice with a copy to the tenant. The notice must be at least 12-point type, and owners must also post a visible summary in qualifying common areas under their control. § 19.71.070

Can a Sunnyvale landlord raise rent or reduce services because a tenant asserted tenant-protection rights?

No. Chapter 19.71 prohibits retaliation against a tenant who lawfully and peaceably exercises legal rights, including raising rental amounts, reducing services, causing an involuntary move-out, or discrimination because the tenant used a chapter remedy. § 19.71.080

Do Sunnyvale tenant protections apply differently in R-1, R-3, R-5, or R-MH districts?

Chapter 19.71 does not create different just-cause, relocation, notice, or remedy rules by zoning district. Coverage depends on the residential-property and tenancy definitions, stated exclusions, and the short-term-rental exclusion rather than whether the parcel is in R-1, R-3, R-5, or R-MH. § 19.71.020; § 19.71.030

General information, not legal advice.

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