FAQ #12 Does my landlord have to have a reason to evict me?

Just as tenants do not have to provide a reason for a 30-day notice to end the rental agreement, landlords in San Mateo County do not have to provide a reason for providing a reason for their 30-day or 60-day notices. Tenants who have lived in the rental for one year or more receive a 60-day advance written notice and tenants who have lived in the unit for less than one year receive a 30-day advance written notice. (The only exception is in East Palo Alto. There, landlords are required to provide a "just cause" for eviction.) If the tenant signed a lease, the owner must serve the tenant with an Unlawful Detainer in order to evict or wait until the lease has expired.

All landlords must follow the appropriate legal steps to terminate a tenancy. For more information on the correct procedures, see the guides and web sites below.

Need more help?

BROCHURES, GUIDES and WEB SITES:

Department of Consumer Affairs: California Tenants: A Guide to Residential Tenants' and Landlords' Rights and Responsibilities www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook or Download the guide (PDF)

California Courts: Self-Help Center: Landlord and Tenant Topics www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/landten.htm

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County's PDF guides: 3-Day Notices | 30 and 60-Day Notices | Eviction Process | Lockouts

Landlord and Tenant Information and Referral Collaborative Landlord and Tenant Rights, Responsibilities, and Resources, in San Mateo County (PDF)

THESE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES TO TENANTS:

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, www.legalaidsmc.org
800-381-8898

La Raza Centro Legal, South San Francisco Only , www.lrcl.org
866-4-LARAZA (toll free)  

Bay Area Legal Aid, San Mateo County Regional Office, www.baylegal.org
650-358-0745

Stanford Community Law Clinic, www.law.stanford.edu/clinics/sclc
650-475-0560

Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto, www.clsepa.org
650-326-6440

THESE ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDE SERVICES TO TENANTS AND LANDLORDS:

Northern California Senior Legal Hotline, www.seniorlegalhotline.org
800-222-1753

Lawyer Referral Service, San Mateo County Bar Association - For a nominal fee, the staff arranges an appointment with an attorney, www.smcba.org/community/lrs.htm
650-369-4149

East Palo Alto Rent Stabilization Program - For residents of East Palo Alto
650-853-3114

THIS ORGANIZATION PROVIDES SERVICES TO LANDLORDS:

Tri-County Apartment Association (TCAA), www.tcaa.org
650-685-1814