Vacaville, CA Rental Property Rules: Just Cause Eviction (2026)
Just cause eviction rules in Vacaville, CA, sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances, list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Key Facts
- Local Just-Cause Ordinance
- None
- Governing State Statute
- Cal. Civ. Code Section 1946.2 (AB 1482)
- Tenancy Threshold
- 12 months (24 if a later adult co-tenant)
- At-Fault Grounds
- Nonpayment, material breach, nuisance, criminal activity, etc.
- No-Fault Grounds
- Owner move-in, market withdrawal, government order, substantial remodel
- No-Fault Relocation
- 1 month of rent (paid or waived)
- SFR/Condo Exemption
- Individually-owned with Section 1946.2(e)(8) notice
- Self-Help Eviction
- Prohibited (Cal. Civ. Code Section 789.3)
Summary
Vacaville has not adopted a local just-cause eviction ordinance. Eviction grounds at Vacaville addresses are governed by the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), codified at California Civil Code Section 1946.2. AB 1482 requires landlords to have 'just cause' to terminate a tenancy after the tenant has continuously occupied the dwelling for 12 months (or 24 months if any additional adult tenant joined later). Just cause is split into at-fault grounds (e.g., nonpayment of rent, material lease breach, nuisance, criminal activity) and no-fault grounds (owner or family move-in, withdrawal from the rental market under the Ellis Act process, government order, substantial remodel), with relocation assistance equal to one month of rent required for no-fault terminations. Single-family homes and condominiums owned by natural persons (not corporations) are exempt if the landlord delivers the statutory exemption notice. Self-help evictions are prohibited statewide by California Civil Code Section 789.3.
1946.2. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 12 months, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate a tenancy without just cause, which shall be stated in the written notice to terminate tenancy. ... (b) For purposes of this section, 'just cause' means either of the following: (1) At-fault just cause ... (2) No-fault just cause, which means any of the following: (A) (i) Intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner ... (B) Withdrawal of the residential real property from the rental market.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
2, with no city-level layer on top. AB 1482 requires just cause for termination once the tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied the dwelling for 12 months, or 24 months if any additional adult tenant joined later than the original tenant. At-fault just causes include: default in payment of rent; breach of a material term of the lease; maintaining, committing, or permitting a nuisance; committing waste; criminal activity on the premises directed at the owner or other occupants; assigning or subletting in violation of the lease; refusing the owner access; using the premises for an unlawful purpose; and an employee or licensee's failure to vacate after termination of employment.
No-fault just causes include: intent to occupy by the owner or specified family members; withdrawal of the property from the rental market; compliance with a government order or local ordinance requiring vacancy; and intent to demolish or substantially remodel the unit. For no-fault terminations, the landlord must provide relocation assistance equal to one month of rent (paid directly or by rent waiver of the last month). Statutory three-day notices for nonpayment, lease breach, and nuisance follow Cal. Code of Civil Procedure Section 1161. 2(e)(8). 3 and expose the landlord to actual damages, civil penalties up to $100 per day with a $250 minimum, and attorney fees. AB 1482's just-cause provisions sunset on January 1, 2030 unless extended.
Violations & Fines
AB 1482 violations are remedied primarily through Solano County Superior Court. An unlawful detainer (eviction) action without a permitted just-cause ground is subject to dismissal, and the tenant may raise the absence of just cause as a defense and counterclaim. Self-help eviction under Cal. Civ. Code Section 789.3 entitles the tenant to actual damages, civil penalties (up to $100 per day, $250 minimum), and attorney fees, plus possible criminal exposure under Cal. Penal Code Sections 418 and 602.5. Failure to deliver the statutory exemption notice for an individually-owned single-family home or condominium causes the unit to lose its exemption for purposes of the just-cause and rent-cap provisions. Because Vacaville has no local just-cause ordinance, there is no city administrative enforcement track or relocation-assistance audit; remedies run through Solano County Superior Court and tenant-defense counsel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Vacaville have its own just-cause eviction law?
Can my Vacaville landlord evict me without cause?
Can my Vacaville landlord lock me out without going to court?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Vacaville
California rules heatmap·Compare Vacaville to another location·View the California rental property rules overview
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Just Cause Eviction in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle just cause eviction.