Healdsburg · Renting & eviction
Renting in Healdsburg: the rules that apply
Healdsburg adds relocation pay for no-fault evictions on top of state law, based on household income. Its own rent limits cover only mobilehome park spaces; state law sets the rent cap, just cause and notice for covered units.
Key points
- Rent increases: State law caps covered units at 8.6%; mobilehome park spaces only: city limit of 100% of the CPI change, at most 6%.
- Relocation pay: City rule: for no-fault evictions, tenants earning 120% or less of Sonoma County median income get 1 month's rent on top of state law.
- Lower incomes: Tenants earning 80% or less of Sonoma County median income get 1 more month's rent; income proof due within 7 calendar days of notice.
- Eviction reasons: State law: after 12 months, a tenancy in a covered unit may end only for a just cause stated in the notice.
- Notice: State law: 60 days' notice to end a tenancy, 30 if under 1 year; no-fault notices also need the city's relocation-rights notice.
- Condo conversions: For condo conversions, the city requires 180 days' written notice before a tenancy ends and gives each tenant an exclusive right to buy.
Each rule below is marked Healdsburg code or CA state law and links to the section it comes from (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.
Rent increases
Healdsburg code State law caps covered units at 8.6%; mobilehome park spaces only: city limit of 100% of the CPI change, at most 6%.
All 6 Healdsburg rules on rent increases, with the code text and the state law underneath →
Eviction and just cause
CA state law Healdsburg has no rule of its own on this, so California law 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
Healdsburg code City rule: for no-fault evictions, tenants earning 120% or less of Sonoma County median income get 1 month's rent on top of state law. Tenants earning 80% or less of Sonoma County median income get 1 more month's rent; income proof due within 7 calendar days of notice.
All 4 Healdsburg rules on relocation payments, with the code text and the state law underneath →
Notices
| Filing a copy with the city |
|
|---|---|
| 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 Healdsburg 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
| Protected activities |
|
|---|---|
| Remedies |
|
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
CA state law Healdsburg has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Lockouts and self-help eviction banned: A landlord may not change locks, remove doors or windows, or remove the tenant's belongings to force a tenant out (Civ. Code § 789.3(b)). Utility shutoffs banned: A landlord may not cut off water, heat, electricity, gas or other utilities to force a tenant out (Civ. Code § 789.3(a)). Tenant harassment and lockouts in California — the full state rule →
Repairs and habitability
CA state law Healdsburg has no rule of its own on this, so California law applies. Duty to keep the unit habitable: The landlord must deliver a unit fit to live in and repair conditions that make it untenantable (Civ. Code § 1941). Repair and deduct: A tenant may make a repair the landlord neglects and deduct the cost from rent, up to one month's rent, no more than twice in any 12 months (Civ. Code § 1942(a)). Habitability and repair-and-deduct — the full state rule →
Landlord entry
CA state law Healdsburg 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 →
Hotel and short-term rental tax
| Tax rate |
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|---|---|
| Who collects it |
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Condo conversions
Healdsburg code For condo conversions, the city requires 180 days' written notice before a tenancy ends and gives each tenant an exclusive right to buy.
All 5 Healdsburg rules on condo conversions, with the code text →
Mobilehome park rent
Healdsburg code Rent can rise by at most 100 percent of the CPI change, and never more than 6 percent of prior space rent. An increase over 300 percent of the CPI percent change in 12 months triggers a mandatory meet-and-confer meeting and arbitration.
All 7 Healdsburg rules on mobilehome park rent, with the code text →
Other Healdsburg rules on this
Healdsburg's code also has these chapters. We have not summarized their values on this page yet; read them in the library.
- Mobile Home Park Space Rent Stabilization (Ch. 2.56) — mobilehome park spaces only
Who this affects
Frequently asked questions
Does a landlord in Healdsburg need a reason to evict?
State law: after 12 months, a tenancy in a covered unit may end only for a just cause stated in the notice.
How much notice does a Healdsburg landlord have to give?
State law: 60 days' notice to end a tenancy, 30 if under 1 year; no-fault notices also need the city's relocation-rights notice.
How much can a Healdsburg landlord charge for a security deposit?
Healdsburg has no local rule on this that we found (checked October 2026); state law applies: One month's rent, on top of the first month's rent (Civ. Code § 1950.5(c)(1), (c)(6)).
What is the hotel tax on short-term rentals in Healdsburg?
Healdsburg's code: The hotel tax is 12% to 14% of the rent. (The code states a range, not the exact rate.) (§ 3.12.030); Each operator collects the tax from every guest at the same time as the rent. (§ 3.12.050).
General information, not legal advice.
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