CA notice to vacate
60-day notice to vacate California, free and ready to print
In California, a landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with at least 60 days' written notice (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2). Choose the day the tenant receives it and the form below counts the move-out date.
- Notice to end month-to-month
- 60 days
- Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2
- Deposit back within
- 21 days
- Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)
- Statutes read on
- September 29, 2026
Free 60 day notice to vacate California PDF and Word template
Choose the state: its notice period, the statute and the earliest move-out date appear here.
Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2: 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year. After 12 months, the Tenant Protection Act requires just cause for most properties it covers.
Every field is optional; a blank prints as a line to write on. The notice is in English, as it is served in the US.
For ending a month-to-month tenancy as the landlord. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent; the notice is built in this browser.
The rules, in order
How to give a 60-day notice to vacate in California
- Step 1
Count {days} days from delivery
California asks for at least 60 days (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2). Count from the day after the tenant receives the notice, not from the date written on it.
- Step 2
Write the notice
Every tenant by name, the property, the move-out date and the California law it relies on. The form above writes all of it and adds a proof of service.
- Step 3
Serve it and keep proof
Hand it to the tenant where you can, or use a method California law allows. Fill in the proof of service on the day it is served and keep a copy.
- Step 4
Return the deposit
Within 21 days of move-out, with every deduction itemized in writing (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)).
What the statute adds
30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year. After 12 months, the Tenant Protection Act requires just cause for most properties it covers. (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2)
Other California landlord documents
A notice to vacate ends a month-to-month tenancy. Unpaid rent or a broken lease call for an eviction notice instead, and the landlord-tenant law page has every California rule in one place.
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Or let Dardaris give the notice, and run the move-out after it.
Dardaris reads the California notice period for the address, drafts the notice with the move-out date and holds it until you approve. Then it stops the rent on the right day and counts the deposit deadline.
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An example of Dardaris drafting a notice to vacate with the move-out date worked out, waiting for the owner to approve it.
Dardaris
You asked to end the tenancy at 88 Maple Street, Apt 2A. California asks for 60 days, so the notice is drafted with the earliest move-out date and a proof of service.
NOTICE TO VACATE
Your month-to-month tenancy of 88 Maple Street, Apt 2A ends on the date below.
This notice is given under California law, which requires 60 days' notice.
The detail
California notice to vacate rules, with the statutes
| Rule | Period | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Landlord notice to end a month-to-month tenancy30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year. After 12 months, the Tenant Protection Act requires just cause for most properties it covers. | 60 days | Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2 |
| Security deposit returned within | 21 days | Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h) |
Read from the California statutes on September 29, 2026. Sources:
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1950.5
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1954
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1946.1
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1946.2
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1962
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1954.603
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=8589.45
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=2079.10a
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=HSC§ionNum=26147
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1940.8
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1940.9
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1940.6
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CIV§ionNum=1947.5
Information, not legal adviceThis page reads the California statutes as they stood on September 29, 2026. A city or county can require more notice or a reason, rent-controlled and subsidized units often have rules of their own, and the notes quote the record in English. When in doubt, ask a local attorney.
The questions that follow.
Do I need a 30 day notice to vacate {state} or a 60 day notice to vacate {state}?
California asks for at least 60 days to end a month-to-month tenancy (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946.1, 1946.2), and that is the period the form above writes in. Where California changes the period with the length of the tenancy or asks for a reason, the note in the rules says so.
Can I use a generic 30-day notice to vacate {state} template?
Not as it stands: California asks for 60 days, so a 30-day form gives the tenant too little notice. The form above writes 60 days in for California and warns you about a move-out date that comes too soon.
What goes in a {days} day notice to vacate {state} template?
The date, every tenant's name, the property address, a move-out date at least 60 days after the tenant receives it, the California law it relies on, your signature and a proof of service. The form above writes every one of them.
When does the deposit have to go back in {state}?
Within 21 days after the tenant moves out, with deductions itemized in writing (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)). The notice above says so, so the tenant knows what to expect.
What if the tenant does not move out by the date?
Then the next step is a court eviction, under your state's procedure. Never change the locks, remove belongings or cut off utilities yourself: that is unlawful almost everywhere in the US, whatever the notice said.
Is a notice to vacate the same as an eviction?
No. A notice to vacate ends the tenancy on a date. An eviction is the court process a landlord uses if the tenant does not leave by then. Most tenants do leave, and a clear, correctly served notice is what makes that likely.
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