Landlord notice deadlines — California
In California, the checked deadlines on this page cover: pay or quit, ending a tenancy, raising the rent. Each figure carries its statute and the stamp Rules checked October 2026. Run your exact dates through the checker — the period is only half the answer; the counting rule is the other half.
| Pay or quit | 3 court days — the tenant may pay and cure (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2)). 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. The 3 days exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays. The notice must state the exact rent owed and the name, phone number, and address of the person to pay, and the days and hours payment can be made. Paying in full within the 3 court days stops the termination. |
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| End a tenancy | 30 days — month-to-month, tenancy under 1 year (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1). 30 days' written notice where no tenant has lived in the unit 1 year or more. 60 days — month-to-month, tenancy 1 year or more (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1). 60 days' written notice once any tenant has lived in the unit 1 year or more. For units covered by the Tenant Protection Act, a just cause is also required — see the just-cause routing for this state. |
| Raise the rent | 30 days (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1947.12, 827). 30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less (cumulative over 12 months); 90 days above 10%. Add 5 days if the notice was mailed inside California. 90 days — increase over 10% |
| How days are counted | Day 1 is the day after service (Cal. Civ. Code § 10). The 3-day pay-or-quit period excludes Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays, so it runs on court days. The 30/60-day termination notices run on calendar days. Add 5 days when a rent-increase notice is mailed inside California (Cal. Civ. Code § 827). |
| Allowed service methods | personal delivery to the tenant substituted service: leave with a person of suitable age at the residence or workplace and mail a copy posting on the premises and mailing a copy, only if personal and substituted service cannot be made (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1162) |
| Just cause | Cause is required. Units covered by the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482), Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2 — most multi-unit and corporate-owned housing; many single-family homes and newer buildings (under 15 years) are exempt. Do not print a bare no-cause end date. After 12 months the landlord needs a statutory at-fault or no-fault just cause, the notice must state the cause, and no-fault causes (owner move-in, withdrawal from the market, demolition or substantial remodel, government order) require relocation assistance of one month's rent or a written rent waiver. |
| Sources checked | https://legalclarity.org/california-unlawful-detainer-laws-and-tenant-rights-guide/ https://journal.firsttuesday.us/form577/ https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1161.&nodeTreePath=6.3.4&lawCode=CCP |
Local rules sit on top of state law in many places — city just-cause lists, rent boards, and prescribed local forms. A state deadline is the floor of the analysis, never a promise that no local rule adds to it.
The paper that goes with the date
The checker gives you the date. The kit gives you the notices: pay or quit, non-renewal / termination, and rent increase letters generated from these same checked deadlines, a letter builder that fills in your dates and names, the move-in and move-out inspection checklists, and the proof-of-service checklist.
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