Lease Violation Notice for California landlords
Document lease breaches with correction deadline 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 violation notice.
- Unauthorized pets
- Noise complaints
- Unauthorized occupants
- Property damage
- Smoking violations
- Parking violations
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.
- How many violations before eviction?
- There is no fixed number. What matters is whether the violation is material and whether the tenant got the cure period the lease or California law requires. A documented pattern of the same violation carries more weight than a count.
- What is a curable versus incurable violation?
- A curable violation is one the tenant can fix, such as an unauthorised pet or a cluttered common area. An incurable one cannot be undone, such as serious property damage or illegal activity. Curable violations require you to give a genuine chance to fix before you can proceed.
- How long should I give the tenant to fix it?
- Use what the lease specifies, or your state’s statutory cure period if that is longer. Where the violation is unpaid rent, California sets that period at 3 days. Whatever you choose, record the date the cure period started.
- Should I document each violation?
- Yes, every time, in writing, dated, with photos where they help. The landlord who loses a contested case is almost always the one who handled the first three violations with a phone call.
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.
Related CA forms
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 violation 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.