Unincorporated Alameda County Just Cause for Eviction

What it requires

• After 12 months (or 24 in some cases), end a tenancy only for one of the at-fault or no-fault causes in Civil Code 1946.2, which the County adopted by reference.
• Single-family homes exempt under state law are covered if the owner has five or more rental units in unincorporated Alameda County. An owner claiming an exemption must state it in the notice.
• For no-fault endings, pay two months’ rent in relocation, capped at $10,000 per household, and explain it in the notice. Households with a child, a disabled, elderly (62+), or lower-income tenant get at least 90 days’ notice.
• File a copy of every termination notice with the County Community Development Agency within 3 days of serving it.
• Tenants displaced for owner move-in or remodel get first right to return if the unit is re-rented within a year. A separate County ordinance requires good-faith mediation of qualifying disputes when either side asks.

Owner checklist

• Confirm the property is outside city limits
• Check exemption status, counting your unincorporated units
• File each notice with the County within 3 days
• Budget two months’ rent, up to $10,000, for no-fault endings