Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1
California Civil Code
Operative Text
(a) Notwithstanding Section 1946, a hiring of residential real property or commercial real property by a qualified commercial tenant for a term not specified by the parties, is deemed to be renewed as stated in Section 1945, at the end of the term implied by law unless one of the parties gives written notice to the other of the party’s intention to terminate the tenancy, as provided in this section. (b) An owner of a residential dwelling or commercial real property hired by a qualified commercial tenant giving notice pursuant to this section shall give notice at least 60 days prior to the proposed date of termination. A tenant giving notice pursuant to this section shall give notice for a period at least as long as the term of the periodic tenancy prior to the proposed date of termination. (c) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), an owner of a residential dwelling or commercial real property hired by a qualified commercial tenant giving notice pursuant to this section shall give notice at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of termination if a tenant or resident has resided in the dwelling or occupied the property for less than one year. (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), an owner of a residential dwelling giving notice pursuant to this section shall give notice at least 30 days prior to the proposed date of termination if all of the following apply: (1) The dwelling or unit is alienable separate from the title to any other dwelling unit. (2) The owner has contracted to sell the dwelling or unit to a bona fide purchaser for value, and has established an escrow with a title insurer or an underwritten title company, as defined in Sections 12340.4 and 12340.5 of the Insurance Code, respectively, a licensed escrow agent, as defined in Sections 17004 and 17200 of the Financial Code, or a licensed real estate broker, as defined in Section 10131 of the Business and Professions Code. (3) The purchaser is a natural person or persons. (4) The notice is given no more than 120 days after the escrow has been established. (5) Notice was not previously given to the tenant pursuant to this section. (6) The purchaser in good faith intends to reside in the property for at least one full year after the termination of the tenancy. (e) After an owner has given notice of the owner’s intention to terminate the tenancy pursuant to this section, a tenant may also give notice of the tenant’s intention to terminate the tenancy pursuant to this section, provided that the tenant’s notice is for a period at least as long as the term of the periodic tenancy and the proposed date of termination occurs before the owner’s proposed date of termination. (f) The notices required by this section shall be given in the manner prescribed in Section 1162 of the Code of Civil Procedure or by sending a copy by certified or registered mail. (g) This section may not be construed to affect the authority of a public entity that otherwise exists to regulate or monitor the basis for eviction. (h) A notice given by an owner pursuant to this section shall contain, in substantially the same form, the following: “State law permits former tenants to reclaim abandoned personal property left at the former address of the tenant, subject to certain conditions. You may or may not be able to reclaim property without incurring additional costs, depending on the cost of storing the property and the length of time before it is reclaimed. In general, these costs will be lower the sooner you contact your former landlord after being notified that property belonging to you was left behind after you moved out.” (i) A landlord or its agent shall not charge a tenant a fee for serving, posting, or otherwise delivering any notice, as described in this section. (j) A landlord of a commercial real property shall include in the notice required by this section information on the provisions of this section. (k) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply: (1) “Commercial real property” means all real property in this state, except dwelling units subject to this chapter, mobilehomes as defined in Section 798.3, and recreational vehicles as defined in Section 799.29. (2) “Microenterprise” has the same meaning as that term is defined in subdivision (a) of Section 18000 of the Business and Professions Code. (3) “Nonprofit organization” means any private, nonprofit organization that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (4) “Qualified commercial tenant” means a tenant of commercial real property that meets both of the following requirements: (A) The tenant is a microenterprise, a restaurant with fewer than 10 employees, or a nonprofit organization with fewer than 20 employees. (B) (i) Subject to clause (ii), the tenant has provided the landlord, within the previous 12 months, a written notice that the tenant is a qualified commercial tenant and a self-attestation regarding the number of employees, at such time the protections under this section come into place. (ii) Unless the tenancy is from week to week, month to month, or other period less than a month, the tenant provided the notice and self-attestation described in clause (i) before or upon execution of the lease, and annually thereafter, at such time the protections under this section come into place.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1, month-to-month and other periodic tenancies in residential and qualifying commercial properties continue automatically unless one party gives written notice to end them. Owners must generally provide at least 60 days' notice to terminate (or 30 days in certain circumstances, such as when the tenant has lived there less than a year or the property is being sold to an owner-occupant). Tenants must give notice equal to at least one full rental period, and neither landlords nor their agents may charge a fee for delivering these notices.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1 sets the notice periods that compliant residential and qualifying commercial property owners follow when ending a periodic tenancy—generally 60 days, or 30 days under specific conditions such as a short-term occupancy or a qualifying sale. Notices must be delivered by the methods specified in the statute, must include the required abandoned-property language, and must not carry any service fee charged to the tenant. Operators of commercial properties covered by this section also include information about the provision's requirements in the notice itself.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1 establishes minimum notice periods that a landlord must meet before terminating a periodic tenancy, and a notice that falls short of those requirements may be legally defective. Tenants who believe a termination notice does not comply with this section can raise that deficiency as a defense in an unlawful-detainer proceeding or file a complaint with a local rent board if one has jurisdiction. Consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office can help clarify which protections under this section apply to a given tenancy type.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 10, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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