Santa Clara County has no countywide relocation ordinance for unincorporated areas. State law controls: AB-1482 requires one month of rent for no-fault terminations and the Ellis Act adds extra pay for elderly or disabled tenants.
Unincorporated Santa Clara County rental units default to California Civil Code §1946.2 (the Tenant Protection Act of 2019, AB-1482) for no-fault relocation. Landlords ending a tenancy for owner move-in, substantial remodel, demolition, or government order must pay one month of the tenant's rent or waive the final month's rent. Withdrawing units from the rental market triggers extra duties under the Ellis Act, Cal. Gov. Code §7060, including a one-year notice for elderly or disabled tenants and right-of-first-refusal language. Several Santa Clara cities (San Jose, Mountain View, Cupertino) have stronger local rules that override these baselines inside their borders.
Failing to pay relocation or include the AB-1482 notice voids the eviction and exposes the landlord to actual damages, attorney fees, and treble damages where bad faith is proven.
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto tenants are protected by California AB 1482 (Civil Code 1946.2), which requires landlords to state just cause to terminate tenancies of 12+ months ...
Palo Alto, CA
Palo Alto has no local rent control ordinance, with rents governed by California AB 1482 statewide rent cap of 5 percent plus CPI (maximum 10 percent annuall...
See how Palo Alto's relocation assistance rules stack up against other locations.
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