Just cause eviction rules in Napa, CA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
The City of Napa has no local just-cause eviction ordinance, so the statewide Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482, Civil Code Section 1946.2) controls. After 12 months of continuous occupancy by the tenant, a landlord may terminate tenancy only for at-fault cause (non-payment, breach, nuisance, criminal activity) or no-fault cause (owner move-in, withdrawal from the rental market, substantial remodel, government order). No-fault terminations require relocation assistance equal to one month of rent, or written waiver of the final month's rent.
Under Civil Code Section 1946.2, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a Napa rental for 12 months (or 24 months for added adult occupants), the landlord may only terminate for one of the enumerated 'just causes.' At-fault causes include default in payment of rent, material breach of the lease after written cure notice, commission of waste, criminal activity on the premises, refusal to execute a similar lease, or refusal to allow lawful entry. No-fault causes are limited to (1) intent to occupy by the owner or a close family member, (2) withdrawal of the unit from the rental market, (3) compliance with a government order or local ordinance requiring vacancy, or (4) intent to demolish or substantially remodel. For any no-fault termination, the landlord must either pay one month's rent in relocation assistance within 15 days of the notice or waive the tenant's last month rent in writing, per Section 1946.2(d). The same exemptions that apply to AB 1482 rent caps apply to just-cause: individually owned single-family homes and condos, owner-occupied duplexes, and units less than 15 years old are exempt, but a written AB 1482 exemption addendum must be attached to every covered Napa lease per Section 1946.2(f). The City of Napa has not enacted any supplemental local just-cause ordinance.
A landlord who terminates a covered Napa tenancy without just cause, or who fails to pay required relocation assistance, may be liable in Napa County Superior Court for actual damages, treble damages, and attorney fees if the violation is willful (Section 1946.2(h)). Tenants commonly assert AB 1482 as a defense to unlawful detainer actions. The California Attorney General's Office investigates patterns of violation, and Legal Aid of Napa Valley handles tenant referrals; the City of Napa itself does not enforce AB 1482 administratively.
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