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

Chapter 9.70, titled the eviction data collection ordinance, was adopted by Ordinance 2437 in 2021 to help the city track residential evictions rather than to create new substantive just-cause grounds; the reasons a landlord may rely on still come from state law. Section 9.70.040 nonetheless conditions a landlord's ability to terminate a tenancy or recover possession of a rental unit in the city on demonstrating three things: the landlord served a written notice of termination in accordance with California Civil Code Section 1162 that sets forth the reason for termination; the landlord has not accepted and will not accept rent beyond the terminated tenancy in compliance with Civil Code Sections 1945, 1946, and 1946.1; and the landlord submitted a true and accurate copy of that notice, with proof of service, to the City of Montebello's Housing Division at 1600 W.

Beverly Blvd. by certified mail within five calendar days after serving the tenant. Section 9.70.050 lets the city confirm receipt of a filed notice to a tenant who verifies residency or to the landlord who filed it, without creating city liability for errors in that confirmation. Section 9.70.060 gives tenants real leverage: failure to comply with any of the three requirements in Section 9.70.040 invalidates the notice of termination, entitles the tenant to costs and reasonable attorney's fees to invalidate it, and functions as an affirmative defense in an unlawful detainer lawsuit.

The definitions in Section 9.70.030 extend rental unit coverage to accessory dwelling units and live-work quarters, while excluding owner-occupied units sharing a kitchen or bath with the tenant.