On February 4, 2025, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors passed a Just Cause for Eviction ordinance on second read. This ordinance will take effect on March 6, and covers all unincorporated areas of Alameda County. Just Cause eviction protections limit the allowable reasons a landlord can evict their tenant. Read the Ordinance here.
The Ordinance passed by the Board uses the same allowable causes for evictions as State Law, including 11 At-Fault reasons, meaning evictions precipitated by a tenant being at fault for some breach of lease or other violation, and 4 No-Fault reasons, meaning those allowed even when a tenant is not at fault.
At-Fault:
- Default in payment of rent
- Breach of material term of the lease
- Maintaining or committing a nuisance
- Committing waste
- Refusal to execute a new lease with similar provisions after the expiration of the previous lease
- Criminal activity by the tenant on the property or directed towards the owner or agent of the owner
- Subletting in violation of lease terms
- Refusal to allow the landlord to enter the property
- Use of the premises for an unlawful purpose
- Failure to vacate following the termination of the renter as an employee, agent, or licensee of the landlord
- Failure to vacate following the tenant ending tenancy
No-Fault:
- The owner or their spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents intend to occupy the property
- The owner is withdrawing the property from the rental market
- The owner is complying with a government order
- The owner intends to demolish or substantially remodel the property
Eviction Notice Procedure
Landlords evicting a tenant for an allowable Just Cause in Unincorporated Alameda County are required to send their notice of eviction to the County Community Development Agency. Failure to do so may be used as an affirmative defense to eviction proceedings by the tenant.
Landlords initiating an eviction should submit the required notice to CDA via email to: JustCauseCDA@acgov.org
OR mail to:
Alameda County Eviction Notice Mailbox 224 W Winton Avenue, Room 108 Hayward, CA 94544
Notices should clearly state:
- The reason for the termination of tenancy
- An explanation of the right to and amount of relocation assistance, if the notice is for a No-Fault Eviction
- If notice is for a No-Fault Eviction for the purpose of substantial remodels,
- A description of the right of first refusal as required by State Civil Code Section 1946.2(b)(2)(D)(iv)(II) stating “If the substantial remodel of your unit or demolition of the property as described in this notice of termination is not commenced or completed, the owner must offer you the opportunity to re-rent your unit with a rental agreement containing the same terms as your most recent rental agreement with the owner at the rental rate that was in effect at the time you vacated. You must notify the owner within thirty (30) days of receipt of the offer to re-rent of your acceptance or rejection of the offer, and, if accepted, you must reoccupy the unit within thirty (30) days of notifying the owner of your acceptance of the offer. ”The statement “When the needed repairs are completed on your unit, the landlord must offer you the opportunity to return to your unit with a rental agreement containing similar terms as your original agreement, subject to an increase in rent if needed to afford the owner a reasonable rate of return. ”A description of all repairs to be performed
- An estimated timeline for completion including a date by which the unit is expected to be ready for habitation
In addition to the statements required by the County’s ordinance and listed above, there may be other noticing standards mandated by State law.