What's the Difference Between a 30-Day and a 60-Day Notice?

To end a month-to-month tenancy, California Civil Code §1946.1 sets the period by length of occupancy: 30 days if you've lived there less than a year, 60 days if you've lived there a year or more. These run in calendar days, starting the day after the notice is served.

Serving a 30-day notice on someone who has lived there over a year is a defective notice, and the eviction can be dismissed. Important: if your home is covered by the statewide Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) or a local ordinance like the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO), a bare 30- or 60-day notice usually isn't enough by itself — the landlord generally must also state a valid "just cause" and, for no-fault reasons, offer relocation assistance.

A Few Things Worth Knowing

• Under 1 year → 30 days; 1 year or more → 60 days (Civil Code §1946.1).
• Using the wrong notice period can make the notice defective and may defeat the eviction case if properly raised.
• On units covered by AB 1482 or the Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (LARSO), the notice must also state a qualifying just cause.