Not legal advice. Verify current state law. These are summaries of general statewide rules from the cited secondary sources, checked October 2026. Laws change, and cities and counties add their own rules. Confirm the current statute, or ask a local attorney, before you act.
| Rule | California |
|---|---|
| Pay-or-quit (nonpayment) | 3 days to pay (weekends and court holidays excluded)[1] |
| Cure-or-quit (lease violation) | 3 days to cure[2] |
| Month-to-month termination (landlord) | 30 days (60 if tenant 1+ yr); just cause required after 12 months under state law (Civ. Code 1946.2) plus local rules[3] |
| Security deposit limit | 1 month's rent (2 months for qualifying small individual landlords)[4] |
| Deposit return deadline | 21 days[5] |
| Late-fee rule | Must reasonably reflect landlord's actual damages (case law)[6] |
| Wholesaling / assignment rule | No wholesaling-specific statute found; general real estate licensing law still applies (do not market the property itself or act as an agent) (State real estate license act (general))[7] |
Creative finance notes
- Owner-occupied homes in foreclosure: Home Equity Sales Contract Act (Civ. Code §§ 1695-1695.17), 5-business-day cancellation with statutory notice.
Statute citations are in the text. All sources are on the Sources page.
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Sources
- Nolo, State Laws on Termination for Nonpayment of Rent (updated 2/05/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/state-laws-termination-nonpayment-rent.html
- Nolo, State Laws on Termination for Violation of Lease (updated 2/05/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/state-laws-termination-violation-lease.html
- Nolo, State Rules on Notice Required to Change or Terminate a Month-to-Month Tenancy (updated 1/15/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/state-rules-on-notice-required-to-change-or-terminate-a-month-to-month-tenancy.html
- Nolo, State Security Deposit Limits (updated 8/21/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/state-security-deposit-limits.html
- Nolo, State Deadlines for Returning Security Deposits (updated 1/16/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/state-deadlines-for-returning-security-deposit.html
- Nolo, Late Rent Fees and Other State Rules on Paying Rent (updated 2/05/2026): https://www.nolo.com/landlord-tenant/late-rent-fees-and-other-state-rules-on-paying-rent.html
- FrontPorchOffers, Real Estate Wholesaling Laws by State (2026), checked 9/30/2026 (secondary; cites statutes): https://frontporchoffers.com/research/wholesaler-laws/