Cal. Civ. Code § 17975.3
California Health and Safety Code
Operative Text
(a) Any owner or designated agent who does not make timely payment as specified in Section 17975.1 shall be liable to the tenant for an amount equal to 1 1 / 2 times the relocation benefits payable pursuant to Section 17975.2. (b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply when relocation benefits are payable fewer than 10 days after the date the order to vacate is first mailed and posted on the premises, if the owner or designated agent makes the payment no later than 10 days after the order is first mailed and posted.
California Health & Safety Code § 17975.3 establishes a financial penalty when an owner or their designated agent fails to pay relocation benefits on time as set out in § 17975.1. In that situation, the amount owed to the tenant increases to one and a half times the relocation benefits that would otherwise be due under § 17975.2. An exception exists when the payment deadline falls fewer than ten days after the order to vacate is first mailed and posted — in that narrower window, the penalty does not apply as long as payment is made within ten days of that mailing and posting.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 17975.3, property owners and designated agents who miss the relocation-benefit payment deadline set by § 17975.1 expose themselves to a statutory penalty that multiplies the amount owed to 150% of the standard benefit. Compliant operators generally track the date an order to vacate is first mailed and posted, calculate the applicable payment deadline carefully, and issue payment before that deadline passes. When a deadline falls within the ten-day window described in § 17975.3(b), operators typically treat the ten-day mark from mailing and posting as the outer limit for timely payment to avoid the penalty.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
§ 17975.3 gives tenants a financial protection: if an owner or their agent does not pay relocation benefits on time under § 17975.1, the tenant may be entitled to receive one and a half times the standard benefit amount rather than the base amount. Tenants who believe a payment was late can document the date the order to vacate was mailed and posted, as that date is central to determining whether the penalty provision applies. General enforcement paths include raising a late-payment violation in any related legal proceeding, contacting a local tenant-rights organization familiar with California's relocation-assistance rules, or consulting with an attorney about the remedies available under § 17975.3.
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 3, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.