AB 1482 Just Cause: When a California Landlord Can End a Tenancy

Not legal advice. We’re property managers, not attorneys. This post reflects our professional experience — not legal counsel. For your specific situation, consult a licensed attorney ↓

Key Facts

After a tenant has lived in a covered California rental for 12 months, the owner can end the tenancy only for a listed at-fault or no-fault reason, stated in the notice. No-fault endings require one month's rent in relocation help.

Citation: AB 1482 (Tenant Protection Act); Civ. Code § 1946.2
Status: In force
Effective: Jan 1, 2020
Scheduled to end: Jan 1, 2030
Jurisdiction: California
Applies to: Owners of most California rentals over 15 years old, after 12 months of tenancy

Key number	Value	As of
Occupancy before protection starts	12 months (24 in some added-tenant cases)	Sep 25, 2026
No-fault relocation	One month's rent, paid within 15 days, or final month waived	Sep 25, 2026
Owner move-in: occupant must move in	Within 90 days and stay 12 months	Sep 25, 2026
Substantial remodel threshold	Permitted work requiring the tenant out 30+ days	Apr 1, 2024

Last reviewed Sep 25, 2026 · Checked against the official text

What it requires

After 12 months of continuous occupancy (24 months in some cases when adult tenants are added), end a tenancy only for a just cause, and state it in the written notice.
At-fault causes include nonpayment, material lease breach, nuisance, waste, criminal activity, unlawful use, and refusing lawful entry.
No-fault causes are owner or close-relative move-in, withdrawal from the rental market, a government order to vacate, and demolition or substantial remodel, each with strict notice and follow-through rules.
For a curable breach, give a notice to cure first; only then a three-day notice to quit.
For a no-fault ending, pay one month’s rent within 15 days of the notice or waive the final month’s rent in writing, and say so in the notice.

Owner checklist

Confirm whether a local just-cause ordinance applies; it may be stricter
Name the specific cause in the notice
Serve a cure notice before any curable-breach termination
For no-fault notices, include the relocation or rent-waiver statement and pay on time

What changed and what’s next

Apr 1, 2024: SB 567 tightened owner move-in and substantial remodel rules

From our East Bay files

One of the most common issues we see when onboarding a new client is the single-family exemption notice: an owner assumed a standalone house was exempt from just cause but never gave the tenant the required written notice, so the protections applied all along.
All East Bay Properties, Emeryville

Go deeper

Official source: Civil Code § 1946.2 (California Legislative Information)
Spot something out of date? Report an error

Article provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. California landlord-tenant law is subject to change, and local ordinances in Berkeley, Oakland, and other East Bay cities may impose requirements beyond those described here. Consult a licensed attorney or qualified property management professional before taking action based on any information in this guide.

Jason Crouch · Founder, All East Bay Properties · CA DRE #01295378 · Licensed broker and East Bay property manager since 2005 — Jason Crouch · Founder,
All East Bay Properties

Jason Crouch is the founder of All East Bay Properties, which he established in Emeryville in 2005. For more than 20 years, he has managed residential rental properties across Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and the broader East Bay — navigating some of California’s most tenant-protective rental markets in the country.

Jason holds a California real estate broker license (DRE #01295378) and is a member of the National Association of Residential Property Managers (NARPM) — the professional association for property management specialists — and is a member of the Bridge Association of Realtors. He has served as Chair of the Emeryville Chamber of Commerce, as incoming Chair of the Oakland Association of Realtors, and on the board of BridgeMLS. He was also a board member of ECAP, the Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program.

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