Culver City · Renting & eviction
Renting in Culver City: the rules that apply
Culver City adds its own rent cap, eviction protection, relocation pay, harassment and buyout rules on top of state law. Culver City has no deposit or entry rule of its own, so state law applies to both.
Key points
- Rent increases: Culver City caps yearly increases on covered units at the CPI change, or up to 2% when CPI is below 2%, never above 5%.
- Just cause: Culver City requires just cause once a tenant lives there over 12 months, except units sharing a bath or kitchen with landlord or family.
- Relocation pay: For a no-fault eviction, Culver City requires relocation pay of 3 times the greater of monthly rent or HUD fair market rent, plus $1,000.
- Buyouts: Culver City requires a written disclosure before a buyout offer, a 45-day cancel right, and filing the agreement within 20 days.
- Ending a tenancy: State law requires 60 days' notice to end a tenancy, or 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than 1 year.
- Deposits: Culver City has no deposit rule; state law limits deposits to 1 month's rent, or 2 months for some small landlords.
Each rule below is marked Culver City code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Rent increases
Culver City code Culver City caps yearly increases on covered units at the CPI change, or up to 2% when CPI is below 2%, never above 5%.
All 6 Culver City rules on rent increases, with the code text and the state law underneath →
Eviction and just cause
| When protection starts |
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|---|---|
| Units covered |
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CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Just cause required: After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice (Civ. Code § 1946.2(a)). Just-cause eviction in California — the full state rule →
Relocation payments
Culver City code For a no-fault eviction, Culver City requires relocation pay of 3 times the greater of monthly rent or HUD fair market rent, plus $1,000.
All 7 Culver City rules on relocation payments, with the code text and the state law underneath →
Notices
| What a notice must say |
|
|---|
| Notice of a rent increase | At least 30 days' notice for an increase of 10% or less; at least 90 days for an increase of more than 10% Applies: The 10% is measured against the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before the increase, counting all increases in that period together. |
|---|---|
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (landlord) | 60 days' notice; 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than one year Applies: Where the unit is covered by just cause (Civ. Code § 1946.2) or a local ordinance, the notice must also state a qualifying cause. |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy (tenant) | At least as long as the rental period (one month for a month-to-month tenancy) |
| 30-day notice when the unit is sold to an owner-occupant | 30 days' notice when a separately sellable unit is in escrow to a natural person who will live there for at least a year Applies: Notice within 120 days of opening escrow, given once, and all § 1946.1(d) conditions met. |
| Notice to pay rent or quit | 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, stating the amount due and how to pay Applies: May be served any time within one year after the rent became due. |
| Notice to cure a lease violation or quit | 3 days, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays, to perform the broken lease term or leave |
| No fee for serving notices | A landlord may not charge the tenant a fee for serving or posting a notice |
Security deposits
CA state law Culver City has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Security deposit cap: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)). Deposit return deadline: 21 calendar days after the tenant moves out, with an itemized statement of any deductions (Civ. Code § 1950.5(h)(1)). California security deposit law — the full state rule →
Retaliation
| Presumption period |
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|---|---|
| Protected activities |
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| Remedies |
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CA state law Underneath, California law still applies. Retaliation protection period: For 180 days after a tenant complains about habitability (to the landlord or an agency), the landlord may not evict, raise rent or cut services in retaliation (Civ. Code § 1942.5(a), (b)). Retaliatory eviction in California — the full state rule →
Harassment and lockouts
Culver City code Ending, not renewing, or otherwise forcing out a tenant mainly to retaliate, when the tenant is current on rent. Bad-faith interrupting, ending or failing to provide required housing services.
Repairs and habitability
Culver City code Temporary relocation to a safe, sanitary, comparable motel or hotel in Culver City (or within two miles of the unit if none is available), paid by the landlord even if it costs more than the rent; reasonable compensation for meals if it lacks cooking facilities and for laundry if the unit had in-unit laundry; accommodation for permitted pets; and the costs of moving to the temporary housing and back The landlord may instead provide comparable housing at any time during the displacement; the tenant may stay there for the whole displacement and the landlord pays all its costs, including rent, even if it costs more. The tenant may agree to a noncomparable unit only if compensated for any reduction in accommodations, amenities and services
Landlord entry
CA state law Culver City has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Landlord entry notice: Reasonable written notice, presumed to be 24 hours, and entry only during normal business hours (Civ. Code § 1954(d)(1), (e)). Landlord entry notice in California — the full state rule →
Buyout agreements
Culver City code Culver City requires a written disclosure before a buyout offer, a 45-day cancel right, and filing the agreement within 20 days.
All 7 Culver City rules on buyout agreements, with the code text →
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Does a landlord in Culver City need a reason to evict?
Culver City requires just cause once a tenant lives there over 12 months, except units sharing a bath or kitchen with landlord or family.
How much notice does a Culver City landlord have to give?
State law requires 60 days' notice to end a tenancy, or 30 days if the tenant has lived there less than 1 year.
How much can a Culver City landlord charge for a security deposit?
Culver City has no deposit rule; state law limits deposits to 1 month's rent, or 2 months for some small landlords.
General information, not legal advice.
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