Q&A

AThis notice notifies the tenant of the exact amount of rent that is past due at the time of service, and allows the tenant 3-day to pay the full rent or to vacate before you start the eviction court case. If the tenant chooses to vacate the property within the three days, the owner can still file a small claims complaint against the tenant for the unpaid rent.

AThis notice gives a tenant who is on a written rental agreement notice that they have breached their contract in some manner and that breach needs to be cured within 3 days or the tenant must vacate. This notice can be used to ask for late fees, for a non-paid security deposit, removal of an unauthorized pet, or a utility payment which is due as long as there is a clause in the written agreement which can be sited. This notice can also be used. The notice must also inform the tenant of how to cure the breach (i.e. remove the pet, pay the utility bill, etc.). If the tenant does not comply with the notice within 3 days, legal action may be taken.

AThis notice is used to give a month to month tenant, notice that the owner wishes to regain possession of the property after the 30 days have expired. See below for when you may use a 30-day notice.

A If your residences are on a month-to-month tenancy, AND they have lived at the property for less then one year. The answer is NO, in fact in this case its a good idea not to tell your residents the reason. They will just be more likely to argue with you and contest the eviction. If they keep pressing, it is best to explain to them that under California law you are not required to give them a reason. Just as they are not required to give you a reason if they want to move.

A No. If your tenants are on a lease, you cannot serve them with a thirty-day notice to quit. Instead, you may want to consider serving them with a three-day notice to cure breach or quit if they are violating a provision of the lease (i.e., disturbing other tenants by playing their stereo too loud or keeping a dog when the lease prohibits pets, or having unauthorized occupants, etc). Incidentally, not being able to use a thirty-day notice to vacate is one of the big disadvantages of the lease (instead of a month-to-month rental agreement). It’s much easier to evict a tenant with a thirty-day notice to quit than a three-day notice to cure breach or quit.

AThere is nothing to prevent you from doing this but we do not think it’s a good idea, and here’s why. If your resident pays the amount demanded in the three day notice, they could argue that by accepting the rent, you have waived your right to evict them based on the thirty day notice. They could also argue they were confused and believed that if they paid the rent they would be permitted to stay. To solve this potential problem, we suggest that you first serve a three-day notice to pay rent or quit (assuming the rent is unpaid). If your residents do not pay their rent within the three-day period, you proceed on the three day notice. If they do pay, you serve the thirty-day notice (if applicable) and proceed on it (when the thirty days have expired). You are entitled to receive the rent even though you have served them with a thirty-day notice. Just be sure you do not accept rent for any period beyond the expiration date of the thirty-day notice.

AYes. You want to be very careful about using a thirty day notice if your resident (a) had recently complained to the building inspector about defects in the premises; (b) had recently requested you make repairs in the premises; or (c) had recently made repairs on the premises and deducted the cost of those repairs from the monthly rent payment. There are other situations as well. If you served your resident with a thirty-day notice to quit under these circumstances, your resident would likely claim a retaliatory eviction. If your resident prevailed, you could be liable for damages. Thirty day notices in these situations need to be modified – spelling out the “non-retaliatory” good faith reasons why you want possession

ANo. In California, if a tenant has been in the premises for a year or more, they must be given a 60 day notice of the intent to terminate the tenancy.

ACalifornia Civil Code section 1954.535 requires an owner to provide a 90 day notice to a tenant of a termination or failure to renew a government contract. This statue is applicable to Section 8 tenant-based contracts for units in rent control and non-rent control jurisdictions. During the 90 day period, the tenant’s portion of the rent cannot be increased.

AIt depends. Yes, if the tenant has lived there less than 12 months. No, if the tenant has lived there more than 12 months. If the tenant has lived in the property for more than 12 months, a 60 Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy must be served.

AThe squatter must be served with a 30-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy, they are a tenant at will. If they don’t comply with the notice, you will have to start an Unlawful Detainer against them.

AIf the tenant fails to move after the expiration of their Notice, you can proceed with an eviction against the tenants with no further notice.

AServe them with a 3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit, and if they don’t comply, you can begin the Unlawful Detainer as soon as the 3-Day expires instead of waiting for the original Notice to expire.

AUnless otherwise specified in your rental agreement, there are three ways to serve an eviction notice:
1.Personal service: Hand the notice to the person named on the Eviction Notice.
2.Sub-serving: Hand the notice to a competent member of the household (if someone named on the lease is not available), and immediately mail a copy of the notice to each tenant and Unknown Occupants. Some commercial leases require the mailing done certified. You will want to get the name of the person you serve (if possible) and a physical description.
3.Posting and Mailing: If nobody answers the door, and you do not know where the occupant works, you may accomplish service by posting the notice on the door, and also by mailing a copy of the Eviction Notice to each tenant.

ANo, however it is a good idea to do so, and here is why. The registered process server is knowledgeable about service laws and will deliver documents in compliance with those laws so that you are protected by the laws of the Court. Also, the is a presumption of proper service against a tenant who later claims to have never been served, whereas if you serve the notice it is simply your word against the occupants.

ANo! First you need to serve them with a 24 Hours Notice of Intent to Enter Dwelling. Once the 24 hours are up, you may inspect the unit. If the tenant still refuses to allow you to inspect the property, you may have to get local law enforcement involved in order to enforce the notice.

AThis notice notifies the tenant that the owner or owner’s agent needs to enter the premises in 24 hours. The notice may be given if the owner wishes to inspect the property, needs to do necessary or agreed upon repairs, or show the dwelling unit to prospective purchasers. The owner should state the reason for entrance on the notice. The entrance of the premises should be done during normal business hours.

AThe notice should be served on the tenant by personal service if possible, or substitute service if the named tenant is not home. If no one answers, post the notice on the door. 24 hours after the notice has been served, the owner or agent can enter the dwelling, pursuant to Civil Code §1954. If the tenant does not allow entrance to the premises, the owner may have to get local law enforcement to help enforce the notice.

AIf there are physical signs that the property is being destroyed, call local law enforcement to make a report. If the destruction is raised to a point of vandalism, this is a separate crime and local law enforcement should be contacted and charges should be brought against the tenants.

AAll personal items left by the tenant must be kept for a period of 15 days by law. If the items need to be removed from the property, they must be stored in a safe place for the 15 days. You can charge the tenant either the daily rental value of the property or the daily rental value of the storage unit for storing their property prior to releasing the property back to the tenant (except if the tenant retrieves the property within 48 hours from the residence). You should also mail the tenant a notice of abandoned property and right to claim property as soon as possible. It is always a good idea to take pictures of all of the items/property left behind as inventory of what was disposed of or sold. Always anticipate the worst, and hope for the best!

A An animal is considered personal property of the tenants and must be stored and humanely taken care of for 15 days. You can charge the tenant for the care and storage of the animal if they wish to reclaim it. Once 15 days has passed, you can keep the animal, find it a home, or take it to the nearest animal shelter. Send a notice to the tenants and post one on the property.

AAs of January 1, 2004, the landlord must include, with the Security Deposit Disposition Letter, copies of documents showing the charges that were deducted such as receipts for repair and labor, and must be able to provide information about the person doing the repairs. The Security Deposit Disposition Letter must be sent to the tenant within 21 days from the date they vacated the property, or the date you were notified they vacated the property, (Civil Code §1950.5).