California Lease Termination Letter

A 30/60-day notice to end a month-to-month or expiring lease, from either the landlord or the tenant, with the notice period your state requires.

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California rules that this document follows

Month-to-month noticeLandlord: 60 days; Tenant: 30 daysSource: Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b)–(c) (60 days; 30 days if every tenant has resided less than 1 year); tenant 30 days (§ 1946.1(c))
Week-to-week notice7 daysSource: Cal. Civ. Code § 1946 (notice equal to the rental period, not exceeding 30 days)
Just cause required for landlordYesSource: Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2 (Tenant Protection Act: after 12 months' occupancy, termination only for at-fault or no-fault just cause; relocation assistance of 1 month's rent for no-fault)
Early-termination rightsServicemembers Civil Relief Act / Cal. Military & Veterans Code; Victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, elder abuse or crime causing bodily injury (14 days' notice); Death of tenant (estate not liable beyond notice period on periodic tenancy)Source: 50 U.S.C. § 3955; Cal. Mil. & Vet. Code § 409.3; Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.7; Cal. Civ. Code § 1934
StatuteCal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1, 1946.2, 1946.7

Rules current as of 2026-09-07. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Lease Termination Letter in California

Deliver the notice so that you can prove the date — certified mail or hand delivery with a signed receipt. Count the notice period from delivery, not from the date you wrote it, and make the end date land on the last day of a rental period if California requires it.

Tenants: give a forwarding address in the letter so the deposit deadline starts running. Landlords: do not accept rent beyond the termination date unless you intend to continue the tenancy.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in California?

Tenant: 30 days; landlord: 60 days (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b)–(c) (60 days; 30 days if every tenant has resided less than 1 year); tenant 30 days (§ 1946.1(c))). A written lease may require more.

Can a tenant break a lease early?

Only under the lease's early-termination clause or a statutory right: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act / Cal. Military & Veterans Code; Victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, human trafficking, elder abuse or crime causing bodily injury (14 days' notice); Death of tenant (estate not liable beyond notice period on periodic tenancy). Otherwise the tenant remains liable for rent, subject to the landlord's duty to mitigate.

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FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.