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Oxnard · Renting & eviction

Eviction and just cause in Oxnard

Under city Chapter 27, after 30 days of continuous, lawful occupancy, an owner may end a tenancy only for a listed just cause.

Key points

  • Just cause: Under city Chapter 27, after 30 days of continuous, lawful occupancy, an owner may end a tenancy only for a listed just cause.

Each rule below links to the section of the Oxnard Municipal Code it was read from, with the code text one click away (checked October 2026). General information, not legal advice.

What Oxnard's code says

Oxnard code What Oxnard's code adds
When protection starts
  • 30 days
    Applies: tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property
    § 27-2 · code text
    after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 30 days, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate the tenancy without just cause
Allowed at-fault reasons
  • Default in payment of rent; breach of a material lease term; nuisance; waste; refusal to execute a qualifying lease extension; specified criminal activity or criminal threats; assigning or subletting in violation of the lease; refusal to allow authorized entry; unlawful use of the premises; failure of an employee, agent, or licensee to vacate after termination of that status; failure to deliver possession after giving notice of termination or agreeing in writing to surrender
    Applies: Chapter 27 covered tenancy after 30 days; breach needs notice/cure; minor dependents and qualifying replacement occupants protected; one-for-one subleases with original tenant remaining have approval/cure protections; renewal request within 30 days of expiry, similar duration and substantially identical terms; crime must be timely reported and eviction applies only to offender, with restoration after acquittal/no charges if unit available; employment ground excludes existing tenants
    § 27-3 · code text
    SEC. 27-3. AT-FAULT JUST CAUSE. At-fault just cause includes any of the following: (A) Default in the payment of rent. (B) (1) A breach of a material term of the lease, as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(3) including, but not limited to, violation of a provision of the lease after being issued a written notice to correct the violation. (2) A "breach of a material term" shall not include: (a) 1. The obligation to limit occupancy, provided that the additional occupant who joins the tenant of the residential real property thereby exceeding the limits on occupancy set forth in the lease is a dependent under age 18, or a replacement tenant who moved in after an approved tenant vacated the residential real property, so long as the additional replacement tenant does not exceed the limits set forth in the Uniform Housing Code. 2. The owner shall have the right to approve or deny the prospective additional or replacement tenant, who is not a minor dependent child, provided that the owner does not unreasonably withhold approval. If the owner fails to respond to the tenant in writing with a description of the reasons for the denial of the request within a reasonable time from receipt of the tenant's written request, the tenant's request shall be deemed approved by the owner. 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, and notwithstanding any contrary provision of a rental agreement, an owner shall take no action to terminate a tenancy based on the tenant's sublease of the unit if all of the following conditions are met: a. The original tenant continues to reside in the unit; b. The sublessee replaces a departed tenant, who had a right to occupy the rental unit under a rental agreement, on a one-for-one basis; and c. The landlord has unreasonably withheld approval of the new tenant after a request was made by the tenant or, if no such request was made, the owner failed to provide the tenant with a reasonable opportunity to correct the violation. (C) Maintaining, committing, or permitting the maintenance or commission of a nuisance as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(4). (D) Committing waste as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(4). (E) The tenant has refused to execute an extension of a written lease. This ground for termination of a tenancy applies only if: (1) The owner requests or demands that the tenant execute a written extension of a written lease previously entered into between the tenant and the owner; (2) The owner makes that request within 30 days before or after the termination of that lease; and (3) The written extension of the lease is for a similar duration as the previous written lease and includes substantially identical terms and conditions. The addition of a provision allowing the owner to terminate the lease to allow for the occupancy of the owner, or the owner's spouse, domestic partner, child, grandchild, parent, or grandparent constitutes a similar lease provision for the purposes of this subsection (E). (F) Criminal activity by the tenant on the residential real property, including any common areas, or any criminal activity or criminal threat, as defined in Cal. Penal Code, Section 422(a), on or off the residential real property, that is directed at any owner or agent of the owner of the residential real property or members of tenant’s household or other tenants of the residential real property. This at-fault just cause provision shall apply if the owner has, within a reasonable time, reported the criminal activity to law enforcement. Further, at-fault just cause eviction of a tenant under this provision shall only apply to that tenant who committed the criminal activity described herein. If a tenant is acquitted or found not guilty of the charges giving rise to eviction, or if charges are not filed against the tenant within the applicable statute of limitations period, the tenant shall be offered the right to restore the tenancy only if the same residential real property is available. (G) (1) Assigning or subletting the premises in violation of the tenant’s lease, as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(4). (2) Notwithstanding any contrary provision in this section, an owner shall not take any action to terminate a tenancy based on a tenant’s sublease of the residential real property if all the following requirements are met: (a) The tenant requests permission from the owner in writing to sublease the residential real property; (b) The tenant continues to reside in the residential real property as their primary residence; (c) The sublease replaces one or more departed tenants under the lease on a one-for-one basis; and (d) The owner fails to respond to the tenant in writing within a reasonable amount of time of the receipt of the tenant’s written request. If the owner fails to respond to the tenant’s written request, the request shall be deemed approved by the owner if the lease is for a period of one year or less. An owner’s reasonable refusal of the tenant’s written request may be based on, but is not limited to, the ground that the total number of occupants in a residential real property exceeds the maximum number of occupants as determined under Section 503(b) of the Uniform Housing Code or successor provision. (H) The tenant’s refusal to allow the owner to enter the residential real property as authorized by Cal. Civil Code, Sections 1101.5 and 1954, and Cal. Health and Safety Code, Sections 13113.7 and 17926.1. (I) Using the premises for an unlawful purpose as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(4). (J) The employee, agent, or licensee's failure to vacate after their termination as an employee, agent, or a licensee as described in paragraph (1) of Section 1161 of the Cal. Code of Civil Procedure. This ground for termination does not apply if the occupant's employment or status as agent or licensee began while the occupant was a tenant. (K) When the tenant fails to deliver possession of the residential real property after providing the owner written notice as provided in Cal. Civil Code, Section 1946 of the tenant’s intention to terminate the hiring of the real property, or makes a written offer to surrender that is accepted in writing by the owner but fails to deliver possession at the time specified in that written notice as described in Cal. Code of Civil Procedure, Section 1161(5). (Ord. No. 3012, 3049, 3058)
Units covered
  • Residential real property after tenant completes 30 days of continuous lawful occupancy
    § 27-2 · code text
    after a tenant has continuously and lawfully occupied a residential real property for 30 days, the owner of the residential real property shall not terminate the tenancy without just cause
Allowed no-fault reasons
  • Owner or qualifying relative intends to occupy the residential real property
    Applies: Article I tenancy after thirty days; post-enactment lease: written tenant consent or qualifying lease clause; owner/listed relative primary residence at least 24 months from within 90 days; City affidavit within five business days and served with notice
    § 27-4 · code text
    The intent to occupy the residential real property by the owner or their spouse, domestic partner, children, grandchildren, parents, or grandparents.
  • Owner or qualifying relative intends to occupy the residential real property
    Applies: Article I tenancy after thirty days; pre-enactment lease: good-faith owner/listed relative primary residence at least 24 months from within 90 days; City affidavit within five business days and served with notice
    § 27-4 · code text
    The owner or qualifying relative must intend in good faith to occupy the real property as their primary residence for a period of at least 24 months
  • Withdrawal of the residential real property from the rental market under the Ellis Act
    Applies: Article I tenancy after thirty days continuous lawful occupancy; Ellis Act withdrawal
    § 27-4 · code text
    Withdrawal of the residential real property from the rental market under, and subject to, the provisions of the Ellis Act.
  • Compliance with a government agency or court habitability order requiring the residential real property to be vacated
    Applies: Article I tenancy after thirty days continuous lawful occupancy; government agency or court habitability vacate order
    § 27-4 · code text
    The owner complying with an order issued by a government agency or court relating to habitability that necessitates vacating the residential real property.
  • Intent to demolish or substantially remodel the residential real property
    Applies: Article I protected tenancy after 30 days; permitted systems work or hazard abatement unsafe in place and requiring at least 30 days vacancy; cosmetic work excluded; no forced vacancy on habitable days; notice includes issued permits or qualifying abatement contract and return/right-of-first-refusal information.
    § 27-4 · code text
    Intent to demolish or to substantially remodel the residential real property.

The California rule underneath

Where Oxnard's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see Just-cause eviction in California.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
Just cause required
After 12 months of lawful occupancy, the owner may terminate only for a just cause stated in the notice
Applies: Covered units only (§ 1946.2(e) exempts, among others, housing built in the last 15 years and single-family homes or condos not owned by a corporation or REIT when the tenant got the required notice). If new adult tenants joined before anyone reached 24 months, all tenants need 12 months or one needs 24.
Chance to cure first
For a curable lease violation, the owner must first serve a notice to cure before a 3-day notice to quit
Just cause — new construction exemption
Housing with a certificate of occupancy issued within the previous 15 years is exempt (rolling)
Applies: Mobilehomes excepted.
Just cause law sunset
§ 1946.2 is repealed on January 1, 2030 unless extended

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

Does a landlord in Oxnard need a reason to evict?

Under city Chapter 27, after 30 days of continuous, lawful occupancy, an owner may end a tenancy only for a listed just cause.

General information, not legal advice.

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