California evictions run through the unlawful detainer process. Under Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, nonpayment requires a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (excluding weekends and holidays), and lease violations require a 3-day notice to cure or quit. No-fault terminations of covered tenancies require 30, 60, or 90 days. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
A landlord cannot remove a tenant without a court judgment. Code of Civil Procedure § 1161(2) requires "three days' notice, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays, in writing, requiring its payment" for unpaid rent, and § 1161(3) requires a 3-day notice to perform a lease covenant or quit for curable breaches. The pay-or-quit notice must state the amount due and how to pay. After the notice expires without compliance, the landlord files an unlawful detainer; the tenant generally has five days to respond, and a contested case goes to trial. For AB 1482 covered units, no-fault just-cause terminations require 30, 60, or 90 days' notice depending on the ground.
Only a sheriff may carry out a lockout after a judgment. A landlord who locks out a tenant, removes belongings, or cuts utilities is liable under Civ. Code § 789.3 for actual damages plus $100 per day (minimum $250).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Municipal Code 6.04.230 prohibits keeping any animal, bird, or fowl that by sound or cry unreasonably disturbs the peace or interferes with the c...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield Municipal Code Chapter 9.22 prohibits any loud, unnecessary noise that disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood, or that causes discomfort...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not generally ban overnight street parking, but BMC 10.40.010 makes it unlawful for any vehicle (operable or not) to remain parked on a publ...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not restrict year-round lawn ornaments (statues, gnomes, flamingos, religious figures, sports themes) on residential property. There is no p...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield does not regulate residential inflatable holiday displays by size, lighting, or motor noise. They qualify as seasonal decorations exempt under BM...
Bakersfield, CA
Bakersfield's outdoor lighting standards exempt seasonal decorations as long as they are not in use for more than 60 consecutive days. Residential lots zoned...
See how Bakersfield's eviction notice & process rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.