Just cause eviction rules in Sonoma County, CA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
On September 17, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted Ordinance No. 6496, the Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance, which applies to rental units in unincorporated Sonoma County. The ordinance augments the statewide California Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482, Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2) by extending just-cause protections from day one of any covered tenancy, expanding coverage to income-restricted housing, narrowing the rent-nonpayment trigger, and increasing no-fault relocation payments.
Ord. 6496 builds on AB 1482 rather than replacing it. Key local enhancements: (1) Just-cause protections apply from day one of any covered tenancy (state law normally requires 12 months of occupancy or 24 months for some adult co-tenants). (2) Coverage is extended to tenants in income-restricted (deed-restricted affordable) properties, which AB 1482 generally exempts. (3) An eviction for nonpayment of rent may only be initiated where the past-due rent exceeds 30 days of rent, and this trigger may be invoked no more than twice per calendar year. (4) Relocation payments for no-fault evictions must be the greater of actual rent or Fair Market Rent (HUD FMR), exceeding AB 1482's one-month-of-rent floor. (5) ALL landlords in unincorporated Sonoma County — whether covered by just cause or not — must provide tenants with prescribed termination information in English and Spanish within 3 days of giving notice. (6) The Board of Supervisors may invoke additional countywide eviction protections during a declared state of emergency.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2(g), failure to comply with just-cause requirements renders a termination notice void and creates an affirmative defense in any unlawful detainer. Ord. 6496's added local notice and relocation duties carry the same defensive consequence, plus exposure to civil liability for actual damages and, where bad faith is shown, treble damages and attorney's fees. Enforcement is administered by the County Administrator's Office; tenants may also pursue private claims.
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