California Eviction Notice
Create a free California eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
California notice periods
Nonpayment: 3 days · Lease violation (cure): 3 days · No-cause termination: 60 days · just-cause law applies.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ California requires a 3-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 3-day notice to pay rent or quit under CCP § 1161(2). Critically, since the AB 2343 reform (effective Sept 1, 2019), the 3-day count EXCLUDES Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays — confirmed by the statutory phrase 'three days' notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays' — so it is 3 court/business days, not 3 calendar days. The notice may demand RENT ONLY (no late fees, utilities, or other charges) and must state the amount due and where/how/when to pay. The clock starts the day after service. Document generators must encode the business-day skip; the integer 3 alone is the raw statutory number.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (California)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 3 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 1161, 1162; Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1, 1946.2 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019 / AB 1482, as amended).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Per CCP § 1162, a notice may be served three ways: (1) personal delivery to the tenant; (2) substituted service — leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion at the residence or business, AND mailing a copy; or (3) post-and-mail ("nail and mail") — affixing a copy in a conspicuous place on the property (and giving a copy to anyone residing there, if present), AND mailing a copy. Substituted and post-and-mail service extend the deadline by the mailing.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
California Eviction Notice Requirements
In California, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. §§ 1161, 1162; Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1, 1946.2 (Tenant Protection Act of 2019 / AB 1482, as amended). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 3-day notice to pay or quit. 3-day notice to pay rent or quit under CCP § 1161(2). Critically, since the AB 2343 reform (effective Sept 1, 2019), the 3-day count EXCLUDES Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays — confirmed by the statutory phrase 'three days' notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays' — so it is 3 court/business days, not 3 calendar days. The notice may demand RENT ONLY (no late fees, utilities, or other charges) and must state the amount due and where/how/when to pay. The clock starts the day after service. Document generators must encode the business-day skip; the integer 3 alone is the raw statutory number.
- Curable lease violation: 3-day notice to cure or quit. 3-day notice to perform covenant or quit under CCP § 1161(3) for curable lease breaches; the statute likewise reads 'three days' notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays,' so the 3 days EXCLUDE Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays. Under Civ. Code § 1946.2(c), for a tenant protected by just cause, the landlord MUST first serve this cure notice before any notice to quit for a curable violation.
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 60-day notice. No-fault termination of a month-to-month tenancy: 60 days' notice if the tenant has occupied the unit 1 year or more; 30 days if less than 1 year (Civ. Code § 1946.1). However, for units covered by AB 1482, after 12 months of occupancy the landlord must also have a statutory just cause (no-fault grounds are limited and may require relocation assistance/rent waiver). The generic § 1946 30-day rule is superseded by § 1946.1's 30/60-day scheme for residential tenancies.
Just cause: Yes — statewide just cause under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), Civ. Code § 1946.2 (since amended, e.g., AB 12/SB 567 operative April 1, 2024; current sunset Jan 1, 2030). After a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential unit for 12 months (24 months if adult tenants are added later), the owner may terminate only for an enumerated at-fault or no-fault just cause, which must be stated in the written notice. Many newer units (built within the last 15 years, rolling), most single-family homes/condos owned by non-corporate owners with proper exemption notice, and owner-occupied duplexes are exempt. Some cities (e.g., LA, SF, Oakland) impose stricter local just-cause ordinances.
Service: Per CCP § 1162, a notice may be served three ways: (1) personal delivery to the tenant; (2) substituted service — leaving a copy with a person of suitable age and discretion at the residence or business, AND mailing a copy; or (3) post-and-mail ("nail and mail") — affixing a copy in a conspicuous place on the property (and giving a copy to anyone residing there, if present), AND mailing a copy. Substituted and post-and-mail service extend the deadline by the mailing.
- Nonpayment, curable-breach, and non-curable (waste/nuisance/unlawful use) notices are all 3-day notices under CCP § 1161, subdivisions (2), (3), and (4) respectively.
- Since AB 2343 (eff. Sept 1, 2019), the 3-day pay-or-quit and cure-or-quit periods EXCLUDE Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays (per the express statutory text of subdivisions (2) and (3)) — meaning roughly a week of calendar time, not 3 calendar days. The subdivision (4) unconditional-quit notice does NOT carry that exclusion and is counted in calendar days. Getting this wrong produces a defective notice.
- Ending a month-to-month tenancy without cause requires 60 days' notice if the tenant has lived there 1 year or more, otherwise 30 days (Civ. Code § 1946.1).
- Statewide just cause (AB 1482, Civ. Code § 1946.2) bars no-fault terminations of covered units after 12 months of occupancy unless a statutory just cause is stated; many units are exempt and local ordinances may be stricter.
- Landlords must STRICTLY comply with notice form and service (CCP § 1162); a defect in the pre-litigation notice can defeat the entire unlawful detainer action.
California Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in California?
California requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. 3-day notice to pay rent or quit under CCP § 1161(2). Critically, since the AB 2343 reform (effective Sept 1, 2019), the 3-day count EXCLUDES Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays — confirmed by the statutory phrase 'three days' notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays' — so it is 3 court/business days, not 3 calendar days. The notice may demand RENT ONLY (no late fees, utilities, or other charges) and must state the amount due and where/how/when to pay. The clock starts the day after service. Document generators must encode the business-day skip; the integer 3 alone is the raw statutory number.
Can a landlord evict without notice in California?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does California require just cause to evict?
Yes — Yes — statewide just cause under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), Civ. Code § 1946.2 (since amended, e.g., AB 12/SB 567 operative April 1, 2024; current sunset Jan 1, 2030). After a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential unit for 12 months (24 months if adult tenants are added later), the owner may terminate only for an enumerated at-fault or no-fault just cause, which must be stated in the written notice. Many newer units (built within the last 15 years, rolling), most single-family homes/condos owned by non-corporate owners with proper exemption notice, and owner-occupied duplexes are exempt. Some cities (e.g., LA, SF, Oakland) impose stricter local just-cause ordinances.
Disclaimer
This California eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm California and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.