California · CCP §§1161–1162 · Civ. Code §1946.1
The Notice Clock
3-day notices count in court days — no weekends, no judicial holidays. 30/60/90-day notices count in plain calendar days. Mixing up the two is one of the most common ways an otherwise-valid eviction gets thrown out. Pick your notice type below.
Before you serve anything
- Court days vs. calendar days aren't interchangeable. 3-day notices (pay rent, cure, unconditional quit) skip Saturdays, Sundays, and California judicial holidays. 30/60/90-day notices don't — they count straight through weekends and holidays.
- The day of service never counts. The clock starts the day after service, for every notice type here.
- Posted & mailed service isn't complete until both steps happen. If you post on one day and mail on another, use the later of the two as your service date — and only after documented failed attempts at personal and substituted service (CCP §1162).
- A pay-or-quit notice can demand only rent — no late fees, utilities, or other charges. Adding anything else can void the entire notice (CCP §1161(2)).
- Curable vs. incurable matters. Lease violations that can be fixed (an unauthorized pet, a cleanliness issue) get a 3-day cure-or-quit notice. Violations that can't be undone (illegal activity, a completed unauthorized sublet) get an unconditional quit notice with no chance to cure.
- RSO / AB 1482 units need a stated just cause. If the unit is covered by LA City RSO, county RSTPO, or the statewide Tenant Protection Act, the notice must identify a qualifying just cause — "no reason" terminations aren't available on covered units.
- No-fault terminations trigger relocation assistance. Owner move-in, substantial remodel, Ellis Act withdrawal, and similar no-fault causes generally require relocation payment (commonly one month's rent) alongside the 60-day notice — separate from anything calculated here.
- Local ordinances can add requirements this tool doesn't know about. This reflects the state-law floor. Confirm your specific city's RSO/RSTPO rules for anything layered on top — additional notice content, filing-with-the-agency requirements, or longer periods.
Notice types at a glance
The core toolkit — not exhaustive of every specialized notice California law recognizes
3-Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit Curable
The standard nonpayment notice. Demands only the rent actually owed (prior 12 months max) and gives the tenant 3 court days to pay in full or vacate.
CCP §1161(2)
3-Day Notice to Cure or Quit Curable
For a fixable lease violation — an unauthorized occupant, a pet in violation of the lease, a cleanliness or maintenance breach. The tenant gets 3 court days to fix the specific violation named.
CCP §1161(3)
3-Day Unconditional Notice to Quit Incurable
For violations the law treats as impossible to cure — waste, nuisance, using the unit for an illegal purpose, an already-completed unauthorized assignment or sublet. No opportunity to fix it; the notice simply demands the tenant leave within 3 court days.
CCP §1161(4)
30-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy
Ends a month-to-month tenancy where the tenant has occupied the unit under 12 months, or where a state-law exemption applies. On RSO/AB 1482-covered units, must state a qualifying just cause.
Civ. Code §1946.1
60-Day Notice to Terminate Tenancy
The default for tenancies of 12+ months, and generally required for no-fault just-cause terminations regardless of tenancy length under AB 1482 and most local RSO ordinances.
Civ. Code §1946.1(b)
Rent Increase Notices — 30 or 60 Day
30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less within a 12-month period; 60 days' notice if the increase exceeds 10%. Applies on top of any lower cap RSO or AB 1482 sets on the amount itself.
Civ. Code §827
90-Day Notice
A narrower category — required for certain federally subsidized tenancies, and for bona fide tenants after a foreclosure under specific circumstances. Confirm which framework actually applies before relying on 90 days as a default.
CCP §1161b · federal subsidized-housing rules