Lease Renewal Notice for California landlords
Offer lease renewal with updated terms Written to CA landlord-tenant law, with the notice period counted for you.
- Pay or quit
- 3 days
- Month-to-month
- 30 days
- Tenant over 1 year
- 60 days
- Rent increase notice
- 30 days
- Max deposit
- 2 months unfurnished, 3 months furnished
- Deposit return
- 21 days
When you need a lease renewal notice.
- Keeping good tenants
- Updating lease terms
- Raising rent with renewal
- Extending lease period
California rules that apply here.
Rent control applies in parts of California. Where a local ordinance is stricter than state law, the local rule governs.
- 3-day notice for nonpayment
- 60-day notice for tenants over 1 year
- Statewide rent cap (AB 1482): 5% + CPI or 10% max
- Just cause eviction required for covered properties
Rent control areas
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Berkeley, Santa Monica, West Hollywood
What landlords ask about this in California.
- When should I send a renewal notice?
- Far enough ahead that the tenant can decide and you can re-let if they decline, commonly 60 to 90 days before the term ends. If the renewal also raises rent, California's 30-day rent increase notice period applies on top.
- Can I change lease terms on renewal?
- Yes. A renewal is a new agreement, so you can change terms including rent, subject to notice requirements and any rent control. Present the changes plainly rather than burying them, because a term the tenant did not notice is a term you will end up arguing about.
- What if the tenant doesn’t respond?
- That depends on the lease. Many convert automatically to month-to-month at the end of the term, which in California means either side can then end it with 30 days of notice. Check the holdover clause before you assume.
- Should I increase rent on renewal?
- That is a business decision, not a legal one. Weigh the increase against vacancy cost, turnover work, and the value of a tenant who pays on time. If you do raise it, California requires 30 days of notice.
This is general information about California landlord-tenant law, not legal advice. Local ordinances can be stricter than the state rule, and if a dispute is already underway it is worth an hour of a lawyer’s time.
This form in other states
The document is the same; the notice period is not. Pick the state the property is in, not the one you live in.
Generate your California lease renewal notice.
Free, no account, and dated against CA rules. Create an account only when you want the tenant details reused next month and the copies kept.