California Eviction Notice Form

What Is a California Eviction Notice?

An eviction notice in California is a written request from a landlord in the state that gives a tenant a deadline to take action. Depending on the circumstances, it may ask the tenant to:

• Pay outstanding rent.
• Correct a lease violation.
• Leave the rental property.

Serving a notice of eviction in California generally comes before filing an eviction lawsuit, known as an unlawful detainer. The notice itself does not authorize you to remove the tenant or change the locks.

California Eviction Notice Requirements

Before preparing your document, check the rules for your notice type, rental property, and location. A legal eviction notice in California must meet applicable state requirements and any additional local protections.

Types of California Eviction Notice

You will need to select a specific type of eviction notice in California based on the reason for taking action and how long the tenant has lived in the property. You can choose between any of the following:

• 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit for unpaid rent.
• 3-Day Notice to Cure or Quit for a lease violation the tenant can correct.
• 3-Day Notice to Quit for certain serious violations without an opportunity to correct them.
• 30-Day Notice to Quit to end certain shorter month-to-month tenancies.
• 60-Day Notice to Quit to end certain longer month-to-month tenancies.

These notices are not interchangeable, and special housing rules may require a different period. Check the applicable California eviction notice requirements before choosing a form.

3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit in California

When rent is overdue, this notice gives your tenant three days to pay the amount demanded or leave. Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays do not count toward this period.

State the rent owed and provide the required payment instructions, including the recipient’s contact details and availability for in-person payment, where applicable. Only demand rent that became due within the previous year.

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3-Day Notice to Cure or Quit in California

Use this notice for a correctable lease violation, such as keeping an unauthorized pet, subject to applicable tenant protections. It is also called a Notice to Perform Covenants or Quit.

Describe the violation and how to correct it, allowing three days excluding weekends and judicial holidays.

For tenancies covered by the state just-cause law, an unresolved curable violation requires a further three-day notice to quit before an eviction lawsuit.

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3-Day Unconditional Quit Notice in California

This is a notice to the tenant to vacate with no opportunity to cure the issue. Grounds may be substantial property damage, a legal nuisance, or illegal use of the premises.

Explain the conduct supporting the notice rather than simply labeling it a “serious violation.” An unconditional notice is not a substitute for giving a required opportunity to cure.

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30-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy in California (Notice to Quit)

A 30-day notice generally applies when ending a month-to-month tenancy where all tenants have lived in the property for less than one year. It gives a move-out date rather than an opportunity to pay rent or correct a violation.

Include the required statement about reclaiming abandoned personal property. Local protections may restrict termination even during the first year, so go over them before serving your notice.

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60-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy in California (Notice to Quit)

At least 60 days’ notice is generally required to end a month-to-month tenancy when a tenant has lived there for one year or more. Giving enough time does not, by itself, establish a lawful reason to terminate.

If state just-cause protections apply, the notice must state a permitted reason. Qualifying no-fault terminations also require relocation assistance or a rent waiver equal to one month’s rent, with the required notice disclosures.

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How to Serve an Eviction Notice in California

In minutes, you can complete the document with Lumr's California eviction notice template, but that is only part of the process. Follow these steps to prepare the document, deliver it correctly, and decide what happens next.

1. 1

   Choose the appropriate notice

   Review the lease, reason for the notice, and length of occupancy. Check state and local tenant protections before selecting your California eviction notice form.

2. 2

   Complete and review your form

   Add the tenant names, property address, relevant facts, and required instructions or disclosures, and make sure to date and sign the document, and check any sample eviction notice for California against your circumstances before submitting it.

3. 3

   Confirm the notice period

   Calculate the deadline for your chosen notice and service method. Do not assume all three-day notices follow the same counting rules or that mailing always adds a fixed number of days.

4. 4

   Deliver the notice correctly

   California permits the following methods, subject to their legal conditions:

   • Handing a copy directly to the tenant.
   • Substituted service: If the tenant is absent from home and their usual workplace, leave a copy with someone of suitable age and discretion at either location, and mail another copy home.
   • Posting and mailing: When the legal conditions for this method are met, post the notice conspicuously at the property and mail a copy, also giving one to a resident if found.

   Do not use posting alone or skip the conditions for substituted service. These methods are governed by the Code of Civil Procedure (§1162.)

   For 30- and 60-day termination notices, certified or registered mail is also permitted under the California Civil Code (§1946.1(f).)

5. 5

   Keep proof of service

   Record who delivered the notice, when and where delivery occurred, and the method used while keeping the completed proof of service, mailing records, and a copy of your California eviction notice in PDF format.

6. 6

   Wait before taking further action

   Allow the full notice period to expire and check whether the tenant has complied. If further action is justified, complete any additional notice requirements before filing an unlawful detainer case in Superior Court.

   You must use the court process to regain possession if the tenant remains. Do not remove belongings, shut off utilities, or lock the tenant out to force a move.