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

California Civil Code §1946.2 (part of AB 1482) requires landlords of covered rentals to have 'just cause' to terminate a tenancy after the tenant has occupied the unit for 12 months. At-fault just causes include: nonpayment of rent (3-day notice to pay or quit), breach of a material lease term, nuisance, criminal activity, refusal to allow lawful entry, or refusal to sign a new lease with similar terms. At-fault evictions require written notice and, where curable, an opportunity to cure. No-fault just causes include: owner or relative move-in (must occupy within 90 days for at least 12 months), withdrawal from the rental market (Ellis Act), compliance with government order, or substantial remodel/demolition requiring tenant absence over 30 days. No-fault evictions require relocation assistance equal to one month's rent (paid directly or as a rent waiver) and 60-day written notice. The same exemptions as AB 1482's rent cap apply: individually-owned SFH/condos with proper notice, new construction under 15 years, owner-occupied duplexes. Temecula has no additional local just-cause ordinance, so state law governs. Tenants believing they were unlawfully evicted can defend the unlawful detainer (eviction lawsuit) and may sue for damages and attorney's fees under §1946.2(h). Landlord retaliation is also prohibited (Civil Code §1942.5) — eviction within 180 days of a tenant complaint to authorities is presumed retaliatory.