Chula Vista, CA Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)

060(A) states no owner of a residential rental unit shall terminate a tenancy without Just Cause, split into "At Fault" and "No-Fault" categories. 060(B) include nonpayment of rent, breach of a material lease term after a written notice to correct, nuisance or waste as defined by Code of Civil Procedure § 1161, refusal to renew a similar-term lease, criminal activity directed at the owner or another tenant, unauthorized subletting, refusing lawful entry, and unlawful use of the premises (with an express carve-out that an unpermitted unit alone does not count as unlawful use by the tenant).

060(C) include an owner or owner's family member moving in for at least 12 continuous months (with written tenant agreement required for post-July 2020 leases), compliance with a government or court habitability or vacate order, withdrawal from the rental market, or substantial remodel/demolition, the owner may not require the tenant to vacate on any day the unit could still be lawfully occupied. 070 requires owners to give tenants an opportunity to cure curable At-Fault violations before terminating, and to serve specific notice content for no-fault terminations, including a re-rental offer if a remodel/demolition is not commenced or completed and reimbursement rights if an intended owner-occupant fails to move in within 90 days or occupy for 12 months.

040 exempts certain owners, natural persons who are not a REIT, corporation, or an LLC with a corporate member, from the chapter if they give tenants the specific exemption-notice language quoted in the code. 080 lets the City Attorney issue administrative citations or civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation per day, and lets a tenant bring a civil action for injunctive relief and damages, including penalties of $2,000 to $5,000 per violation per day, rising further for elderly or disabled tenants.