Is My 60-Day No-Cause Eviction Notice Legal After 15 Years as a Tenant in California?
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Reviewed & verified by A. Jason Velez, Esq.*
Managing Attorney, 1LAW · Last reviewed January 1, 2026
Legal Inquiry
Consumer Legal Issue
I was given a 60-day notice to vacate after 15 years of month-to-month tenancy. No reason was given, and no relocation assistance was offered. I have not received any other notices about the tenancy ending.
Month to month. No other notices.
Attorney Answer
A 60-day notice after 15 years of month-to-month tenancy might be legal, but only if your rental is exempt from California's statewide just cause eviction protections, and if it is not exempt, you may be owed relocation assistance. This is an important distinction the notice itself does not have to explain to you.
Since you have lived in the unit as a month-to-month tenant for more than a year, your landlord generally must give 60 days' written notice to end the tenancy, under Civil Code section 1946.1. That part of your notice is likely valid on its own.
However, California's Tenant Protection Act, Civil Code section 1946.2, generally requires landlords to have a just cause reason to end a tenancy once someone has lived there 12 months or more, unless the rental is exempt. Exemptions include certain single-family homes and condos, only if the landlord is not a corporation or REIT and included a specific notice in your lease, and buildings first occupied within the last 15 years, among others. If your rental is covered by this law, a no-fault termination like this one generally requires your landlord to either pay you relocation assistance equal to one month's rent or waive your last month's rent. A notice with no reason stated may not even be valid at all if your unit is covered.
What you can do
1. Figure out whether your rental is likely exempt: is it a single-family home or condo, and if so, did your lease include the specific exemption notice required by law? Was the building constructed within the last 15 years? 2. If you are not sure it is exempt, treat the notice as potentially invalid or incomplete, and do not move out before getting advice. 3. Contact a local tenant's rights organization or housing attorney promptly, since your response needs to happen within the 60-day window. 4. Keep a copy of the notice and any communication with your landlord about the reason for it, or the lack of one.
Given how close you are to needing to respond, and the real possibility that you are owed either a valid reason or relocation money, this is worth getting reviewed quickly. This is general legal information, not legal advice, and a California landlord-tenant attorney can review your lease and rental type to advise you on your specific situation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my rental is exempt from the Tenant Protection Act?
Key factors include whether it's a single-family home or condo not owned by a corporation or REIT, whether your lease included a specific exemption notice, and how recently the building was constructed. A housing attorney or local tenant organization can help you check your specific property.
What is relocation assistance and how much would I get?
If your tenancy is covered by the Tenant Protection Act and your landlord is ending it without cause, they generally must either pay you an amount equal to one month's rent or waive your final month's rent instead. The notice itself should state which form of assistance applies if it does.
What should I do if I think the notice is invalid?
Don't move out or assume the notice is valid. Contact a tenant's rights organization or attorney promptly, since responding within the notice period matters and there may be local Moorpark or Ventura County rules to consider as well.
