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

Civil Code §1946.2 (effective January 1, 2020, sunset January 1, 2030) defines two categories of just cause. At-fault causes include: nonpayment of rent (after a 3-day notice to pay or quit), breach of a material lease term, nuisance, waste, criminal activity on the premises, assignment or subletting in violation of lease, failure to provide access for repairs, and certain other tenant-side defaults. No-fault causes include: owner or family-member move-in (with restrictions including a 12-month occupancy requirement and disclosure), withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act, Government Code §7060), substantial remodel or demolition (with a specific definition tightened by AB 1482 in 2023), or government order. No-fault evictions require either one month's rent in relocation assistance paid to the tenant within 15 calendar days or a one-month rent waiver applied to the final month of tenancy. The landlord must serve a written notice that specifies the just cause and complies with Code of Civil Procedure §1161 (3-day or 60-day notice depending on cause and tenancy length). 'At-fault' causes typically require an opportunity to cure for curable breaches. Exempt units (single-family homes and condos owned by natural persons or revocable trusts with the statutorily required exemption notice in the lease) are subject only to the standard Code of Civil Procedure 30-day or 60-day no-cause termination process. The COVID-era statewide eviction protections (AB 832, SB 91, etc.) have expired, but local rental assistance programs through Solano County and Catholic Charities continue to operate. Solano County Superior Court (Fairfield branch) handles unlawful detainer cases under Code of Civil Procedure §§1161-1179a, with the case proceeding on a fast track once an answer is filed.