Just Cause Eviction: Petaluma vs Santa Rosa
How do just cause eviction rules compare between Petaluma, CA and Santa Rosa, CA?
Petaluma and Santa Rosa have similar restriction levels.
Petaluma, CA
Sonoma County
On September 17, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6496, the Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance, which applies to rental units in unincorporated Sonoma County. The ordinance augments the statewide California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2) by extending just-cause protections from day one of any covered tenancy, expanding coverage to income-restricted housing, narrowing the rent-nonpayment trigger, and increasing no-fault relocation payments.
View full Petaluma rules →Santa Rosa, CA
Sonoma County
On September 17, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6496, the Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance, which applies to rental units in unincorporated Sonoma County. The ordinance augments the statewide California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2) by extending just-cause protections from day one of any covered tenancy, expanding coverage to income-restricted housing, narrowing the rent-nonpayment trigger, and increasing no-fault relocation payments.
View full Santa Rosa rules →Key Facts Comparison
| Fact | Petaluma | Santa Rosa |
|---|---|---|
| Local Ordinance | Ord. 6496 — Residential Tenancy Protections | Ord. 6496 — Residential Tenancy Protections |
| Effective Date | September 17, 2024 | September 17, 2024 |
| Scope | Unincorporated Sonoma County only | Unincorporated Sonoma County only |
| Just-Cause Trigger | Day one (vs. AB 1482's 12 mo.) | Day one (vs. AB 1482's 12 mo.) |
| Nonpayment Floor | Past-due rent > 30 days; max 2x per year | Past-due rent > 30 days; max 2x per year |
| No-Fault Relocation | Greater of actual rent or HUD Fair Market Rent | Greater of actual rent or HUD Fair Market Rent |
| Notice Duty | All landlords — English + Spanish info within 3 days | All landlords — English + Spanish info within 3 days |
Highlighted rows indicate differences between cities.
Petaluma FAQ
Does Sonoma County require just cause for eviction from day one of a tenancy?
Yes — in the unincorporated area. Ord. 6496 (adopted Sept. 17, 2024) extends California's just-cause framework so that protections apply from day one of any covered tenancy, eliminating AB 1482's 12-month threshold. State law still applies inside incorporated cities.
How much rent must a tenant be behind before a Sonoma County landlord can evict for nonpayment?
The past-due rent must exceed 30 days of rent before a nonpayment eviction can be initiated under Ord. 6496, and a landlord may not invoke that trigger more than twice in the same calendar year. This is stricter than AB 1482, which has no calendar-year limit.
What relocation assistance does Sonoma County require for a no-fault eviction?
Ord. 6496 requires the greater of the tenant's actual rent or the HUD Fair Market Rent for the unit's size and region. That's typically higher than AB 1482's one-month-of-rent baseline (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2(d)), especially for tenants in long-held, below-market units.
Santa Rosa FAQ
Does Sonoma County require just cause for eviction from day one of a tenancy?
Yes — in the unincorporated area. Ord. 6496 (adopted Sept. 17, 2024) extends California's just-cause framework so that protections apply from day one of any covered tenancy, eliminating AB 1482's 12-month threshold. State law still applies inside incorporated cities.
How much rent must a tenant be behind before a Sonoma County landlord can evict for nonpayment?
The past-due rent must exceed 30 days of rent before a nonpayment eviction can be initiated under Ord. 6496, and a landlord may not invoke that trigger more than twice in the same calendar year. This is stricter than AB 1482, which has no calendar-year limit.
What relocation assistance does Sonoma County require for a no-fault eviction?
Ord. 6496 requires the greater of the tenant's actual rent or the HUD Fair Market Rent for the unit's size and region. That's typically higher than AB 1482's one-month-of-rent baseline (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2(d)), especially for tenants in long-held, below-market units.
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