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.
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana does not regulate decorative lawn ornaments, statuary, or year-round yard decorations on private property. Property maintenance standards in SAMC C...
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana does not specifically regulate residential inflatable holiday displays. There is no size cap, lighting curfew, or fan-noise limit specific to infla...
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana does not have a specific ordinance regulating residential holiday light displays. Display dates, brightness, and decorative content are not regulat...
Santa Ana, CA
Built-in outdoor kitchens in Santa Ana require building, electrical, plumbing, and gas permits under SAMC Chapter 8 (Building and Construction Standards), wh...
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana does not have a specific ordinance regulating backyard smokers or wood-fired ovens by time of day. Use is governed by the general nuisance provisio...
Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana enforces the California Fire Code (CFC) through SAMC Chapter 14 (Fire Prevention) and OCFA (Orange County Fire Authority) under contract. Under CFC...
See how Santa Ana'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.