Just cause eviction rules in Riverside County, CA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
California AB 1482 requires just cause to terminate any tenancy in a covered unit in Riverside County after the tenant has continuously occupied the unit for 12 months (or 24 months if a new adult tenant joined). The law distinguishes at-fault reasons (no relocation fee) from no-fault reasons (requires one month of rent as relocation assistance).
Just-cause protections under Civil Code 1946.2 apply to the same units as the AB 1482 rent cap: multifamily units 15 or more years old and some single-family rentals owned by corporate entities. After 12 months of tenancy the landlord must state an at-fault cause (nonpayment of rent, breach of lease, nuisance, criminal activity, refusing to execute lease renewal, unauthorized subletting) or a no-fault cause (owner move-in by owner or immediate family, removal from rental market under Ellis-like procedures, substantial remodel requiring tenant to vacate, or compliance with a government order). No-fault evictions require written notice and payment of one month's rent in relocation assistance or a waiver of the final month's rent. Notices must include specific statutory language; defective notices are often dismissed in unlawful detainer court. Exemptions match the rent-cap exemptions and require the owner to have served the written AB 1482 exemption notice. Retaliatory and discriminatory evictions are separately barred by Civil Code 1942.5 and the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Tenants in Riverside County can access free legal aid through Inland Counties Legal Services.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Riverside County code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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