Petaluma, CA Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in Petaluma, CA, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- PMC Ch. 6.60, Residential Tenancy Protections
- Small-landlord exemption
- 3 or fewer units, non-corporate owner
- Relocation assistance
- Lesser of 250% one month's rent or $9,000
- Relocation payment deadline
- 14 calendar days after notice
- Enforcement
- Affirmative defense plus civil damages/injunction
Summary
Petaluma Municipal Code Chapter 6.60 bars landlords from ending most residential tenancies without an enumerated at-fault or no-fault just cause, going further than the statewide Tenant Protection Act it implements. Covered tenants who receive a no-fault termination, such as an owner move-in or a market withdrawal, are entitled to relocation assistance and specific additional notice before the landlord can proceed.
6.60.050 Requirements for termination of tenancies. Landlords are prohibited from terminating tenancies to which this chapter applies unless the termination is for an "at-fault" or "no-fault" just cause in accordance with this section, and unless and until the landlord first satisfies the termination prerequisites specified in this section. ... ... D. No-Fault Just Causes. The following circumstances with respect to a tenancy to which this chapter applies qualify as no-fault just causes for termination of the tenancy as permitted by this chapter: 1. Permanent Withdrawal From Rental Market. A landlord intends in good faith to withdraw a building containing at least one rental unit from the residential rental market. 2. Owner or Relative to Occupy Dwelling Unit. Intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or their relative, but only if a provision of the lease allows the owner to terminate the lease if the owner, or their relative member unilaterally decides to occupy the residential real property.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
12 by starting tenant protections sooner, adding relocation assistance requirements, and requiring notice of tenants' rights that state law does not itself mandate. 050 requires a landlord to satisfy termination prerequisites, including serving a notice of tenant rights and a notice of termination, before ending a tenancy, and permits termination only for the at-fault causes in subsection B (unpaid rent, lease breach, criminal activity, nuisance, refusing entry, waste, and similar tenant-caused reasons) or the no-fault causes in subsection D: the owner's good-faith withdrawal of the unit from the rental market, an owner or relative's intent to occupy, intent to demolish or substantially remodel, or compliance with a government order to vacate.
030(A), but exempts small landlords who own three or fewer units and are not a corporation, REIT, or LLC with a corporate member, transient occupancies, dormitories, and owner-occupied units sharing a kitchen or bath. 080 equal to the lesser of two hundred fifty percent of one month's rent or nine thousand dollars, adjusted annually for inflation, paid within fourteen days of the termination notice.
Violations & Fines
A landlord's failure to comply with Chapter 6.60 is an affirmative defense to an unlawful detainer action under Section 6.60.100(A), and a tenant who wins a wrongful eviction case recovers costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Landlords who retaliate against a tenant for asserting rights under the chapter, or who otherwise violate it, are subject to a civil action for money damages, injunctive relief, or both, and the city itself may sue to enforce the chapter through injunctive relief or administrative fines under Chapters 1.10 through 1.16.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Petaluma landlord evict a tenant just because the lease term ended?
Is every rental in Petaluma covered by the just-cause eviction rules?
How much relocation assistance must a Petaluma landlord pay for a no-fault eviction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
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