Tenant Rights

Since the enactment of the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (Assembly Bill 1482), one phrase has become central to residential eviction law: "just cause." While the term appears straightforward, many landlords and tenants misunderstand what it actually requires—and what it does not. Contrary to popular belief, "just cause" does not mean a landlord can never evict a tenant. Nor does it mean that every disagreement between a landlord and tenant justifies terminating a t

When California enacted Assembly Bill 1482—the Tenant Protection Act of 2019—it fundamentally altered residential landlord-tenant law throughout the state. Effective January 1, 2020, the Act established California's first statewide "just cause" eviction protections while simultaneously imposing statewide rent increase limitations on many residential rental properties. Codified primarily at California Civil Code sections 1946.2 and 1947.12, the Tenant Protection Act represents