No-Fault Eviction in California: What It Means If You’re Trying to Sell

Short answer: A no-fault eviction in California ends a tenancy when the tenant has done nothing wrong, and it is allowed only for the four reasons listed in Civil Code § 1946.2: owner or qualifying relative move-in, withdrawal of the property from the rental market, demolition or substantial remodel, or compliance with a government order to vacate.

Selling the house is not one of them. Every no-fault notice also owes relocation assistance of one month’s rent, and since April 1, 2024 the move-in and remodel categories carry stricter proof requirements.

A no-fault eviction is a lease termination where the tenant hasn’t violated the lease — the landlord is ending the tenancy for a reason on a specific, statutory list, most commonly to move a family member in, remodel, or exit the rental business.

California’s statewide Tenant Protection Act, Civil Code § 1946.2 (also known as AB 1482), tightly limits when you can use one, and getting it wrong can void the notice entirely.

El Segundo’s tiny residential footprint, squeezed between its aerospace employers and a major refinery, makes that notice even more consequential when a sale is involved. Bell, CA is a useful point of comparison — it relies entirely on this statewide law rather than a local rent ordinance.

Short of ending the tenancy altogether, even routine showings have their own notice rules — here’s when a tenant can and cannot refuse to let a buyer through. Unincorporated Mayflower Village layers its own county ordinance on top of this statewide rule, which can change which notice period actually applies.

In Commerce, where renter-occupied homes actually outnumber owner-occupied ones, a no-fault notice built around buyer occupancy comes up often enough to be routine — here’s how that plays out when selling a tenant-occupied Commerce property.

In West Carson, another unincorporated South Bay community, that statewide notice requirement sits alongside a separate county rent ordinance — see why West Carson’s tenant protections come from the county, not a city.

Long Beach takes a different approach again, layering its own relocation-payment ordinance on top of this statewide framework — see how much Long Beach landlords must pay tenants under that local rule.

Related research: For broader California tenant and owner-occupancy context, see our California Owner vs. Renter Housing Report 2026.

The Four Statutory No-Fault Reasons

Under Civil Code § 1946.2, once a tenant has lived in the unit 12 months (24 months if a co-tenant was added after the original tenancy began), a landlord covered by the law can only end the tenancy without fault for: the owner or a qualifying relative intending to occupy the unit, the owner withdrawing the property from the rental market, intent to demolish or substantially remodel, or compliance with a government order to vacate.

Selling the property to an investor who will keep renting it out is not on this list — the new owner simply steps into the lease as the landlord, and the tenancy continues.

What Changed for Owner Move-In Evictions in 2024

Senate Bill 567 tightened the owner and relative move-in category effective April 1, 2024: the owner or relative must move in within 90 days of the tenant vacating and live there at least 12 months, and the substantial-remodel category now requires the notice to describe the specific work, attach any required permits, and tell the tenant about their right to reoccupy if the work stalls or doesn’t happen. A notice that skips these details is vulnerable to challenge in court.

The No-Fault Eviction Relocation Fee in California

Every no-fault termination under the statewide law requires the landlord to pay relocation assistance equal to one month’s rent, or waive the final month’s rent instead — and the notice has to specify which option applies. Miss that requirement, or the 15-day payment deadline if paying cash, and the notice can be voided outright, restarting the clock.

At-Fault vs No-Fault Eviction in California

An at-fault eviction in California rests on something the tenant did: not paying rent, breaching a material lease term after a chance to cure it, nuisance or waste, unlawful use of the unit, refusing to sign a new lease on similar terms, unapproved subletting, denying lawful entry, or criminal activity.

Those causes sit in the same statute as the no-fault ones, and two practical differences follow. An at-fault termination carries no relocation payment; every no-fault termination does.

And the notice is different: a curable at-fault breach starts with a notice giving the tenant the chance to fix it, while a no-fault termination is a 30-day or 60-day notice that has to state the reason and the relocation option on its face.

This Is Not the Ellis Act

The Ellis Act is a separate, older law that lets a landlord exit the rental business entirely by removing all units from the market — it has its own notice periods, its own relocation payments (higher in several cities), and its own restrictions on re-renting the units later.

Landlords sometimes reach for the Ellis Act when a straightforward no-fault termination under AB 1482 would actually fit their situation better, or the reverse; the two statutes are not interchangeable, and using the wrong one can unwind the whole eviction.

Selling Occupied Often Beats Evicting First

Because a no-fault eviction under AB 1482 doesn’t apply to a simple change of ownership, many landlords who assume they must clear the property before selling are wrong.

Selling a tenant-occupied property to a buyer who plans to keep it as a rental skips the relocation payment, the notice requirements, and the months of lead time a substantial-remodel or owner move-in eviction can take.

If cash for keys is on the table instead, that’s a separate, negotiated route with its own tradeoffs.

When Eviction, or Even Selling, Isn’t Necessary

If the tenant is paying close to market rent, the property cash-flows fine, and there’s no urgent reason to occupy or remodel, a no-fault eviction — and a sale to escape one — may not be the best move at all.

Refinancing, raising rent within the statewide cap, or simply keeping a good tenant in place often beats the cost and delay of either path.

In a city that layers its own rent-registry rules on top of the statewide law, like Oakland, confirming the building’s registration is current is worth doing before any of those options — see what Oakland’s rent registry requires of a seller.

No-Fault Eviction in California: FAQ

How much is the no-fault eviction relocation fee in California?
One month’s rent at the rate in effect when the notice is served, paid within 15 calendar days of service, or a written waiver of the tenant’s final month’s rent instead. The notice must say which option you are using.

Does selling the house count as a no-fault just cause?
No. A sale is not on the statutory list. The buyer takes title subject to the lease and becomes the landlord, so the tenancy simply continues.

Does the statewide just-cause rule cover every California rental?
No. It applies once a tenant has occupied the unit 12 months, and it exempts housing built within the last 15 years, single-family homes and condos when the owner is not a corporation, a REIT or an LLC with a corporate member and the required written notice was given, and owner-occupied duplexes. Many cities add their own stricter just-cause and relocation rules on top.

A defective no-fault notice can be challenged in court, so have an attorney review the specific notice before you serve it.

A separate scenario worth distinguishing from a no-fault notice is an owner move-in eviction, where a landlord or a qualifying relative plans to occupy the unit themselves; see our breakdown of California’s owner move-in eviction rules for what that process actually requires.

If you’d rather sell the property as-is, tenant in place or vacant, Cash Home Buyers CA can make a no-obligation cash offer either way. You can also read our reviews and see where we work on our Google Business Profile.