California Eviction Notice Template

California overlays a just-cause rule on its notice periods. Once a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied the unit for 12 months, Civil Code §1946.2 bars terminating the tenancy without just cause, and the cause must be stated in the written notice, so a bare 30- or 60-day notice under §1946.1 does not end most covered tenancies. That single rule is why a notice copied from a generic form, or from a neighboring state, so often fails in California. In California, landlords must provide a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit, counted excluding Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays (CCP §1161(2)) for non-payment of rent. California provides 3-day cure period for non-payment; 3-day cure period for curable lease violations. Lease violations require a 3-day notice to cure or quit for curable violations; 3-day unconditional quit for incurable violations. For no-fault terminations, California requires 30 days if the tenant has resided under one year; 60 days after one year (Civ. Code §1946.1), and for most tenancies past 12 months a just-cause reason under §1946.2 as well. Valid delivery methods include personal delivery, substituted service (leaving with a person of suitable age), or posting and mailing.

The controlling provisions are Code of Civil Procedure §1161 (unlawful detainer and the 3-day notice) with Civil Code §1946.1 (no-fault notice periods) and §1946.2 (just cause), and they are read strictly. The period itself is the trap: the 3-day period for unpaid rent excludes Saturdays, Sundays and other judicial holidays, and the notice must state the amount due and the name, telephone number and address of the person to be paid (CCP §1161(2)). What a landlord cannot do anywhere in California is take possession personally. Changing locks, cutting utilities, or removing belongings is self-help eviction, and it converts a straightforward possession case into a damages claim against the landlord. A properly served eviction notice is the mandatory first step.