Relocation payments in San Rafael: the local rules

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

What San Rafael's code says

San Rafael code What San Rafael's code adds
Extra for protected tenants	1 extra payment of 1 month's rent: greater of lease rent or current HUD Fair Market Rent for bedroom count. Applies: Households with a minor child, elderly or disabled person; proof within 21 days of notice; only Census Tract 1122.01 no-fault cases, 30+ day units. § 10.111.050 · code text a. Tenant households with minor child(ren). Households with at least one minor child(ren).
Amount	First and last month's rent: 2 times greater of lease rent or current HUD Fair Market Rent for bedroom count. Applies: Part of no-fault relocation; only units in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas) occupied 30+ days. § 10.111.050 · code text Payment for first and last month's rent shall be equal to two (2) times the greater of (1) the rent established by a lease between the landlord and the tenant household, or (2) the current Fair Market Rent published annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for the San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, corresponding to the number of bedrooms in the subject dwelling unit; A security deposit payment, set by City Council resolution based on bedrooms. Applies: Part of no-fault relocation; only units in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas) occupied 30+ days. § 10.111.050 · code text Payment for a security deposit shall be established by city council resolution and based upon the number of bedrooms in the property; A moving expenses payment, set by City Council resolution based on bedrooms. Applies: Part of no-fault relocation; only units in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas) occupied 30+ days. § 10.111.050 · code text Payment for moving expenses shall be established by city council resolution and based on the number of bedrooms in the property; A daily payment for each day left in the month the tenancy ends, at a Council-set rate by household size. Applies: Part of no-fault relocation; only units in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas) occupied 30+ days. § 10.111.050 · code text A per diem payment for each day remaining in the calendar month in which the tenancy is terminated. The per diem amount shall be established by city council resolution, to compensate for costs such as short-term rental accommodations, meals, and other related costs, and based upon tenant household size;
Exemptions	Households evicted for cause cannot get relocation assistance. Applies: A for-cause termination under the city's just-cause rules. § 10.111.030 · code text A tenant household shall not be eligible to receive relocation assistance pursuant to this chapter if the tenant household is subject to a "for cause termination" pursuant to subsection (B) of section 10.105.040 of this Code. Only households living there 30+ days in a row, in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas), qualify. § 10.111.030 · code text A tenant household shall be eligible for relocation assistance pursuant to this chapter if: 1. The tenant household has continually occupied a dwelling unit for a period of thirty (30) days or more; and 2. The tenant household occupies a dwelling unit located within U.S. Census Tract 1122.01, and shown in the shaded areas of Map 10.111.030.
When it is paid	At least 30 days before tenancy ends, by certified mail or personal service, by check to those on the lease. Applies: Only no-fault terminations of units in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas). § 10.111.050 · code text Not less than thirty (30) days before the final date of the terminated tenancy, the landlord shall deliver, via certified mail or personal service, to the address of the terminated tenancy, the relocation assistance required by this chapter.
When relocation is owed	A no-fault termination of a covered tenancy. Applies: The household has lived there 30+ days in a row and the unit is in Census Tract 1122.01 (mapped areas). § 10.111.040 · code text If the termination of a tenancy subject to this chapter qualifies as a "no fault termination" pursuant to subsection (C) of Section 10.105.040 of this Code, the landlord of the dwelling unit subject to the no fault termination shall, regardless of the tenant household's income, provide relocation assistance in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

The California rule underneath

Where San Rafael's rule above does not cover a situation, state law still applies. For the statewide rule on its own, see Relocation under California's just-cause law.

CA state law The statewide rule underneath
No-fault eviction relocation assistance	One month's rent (as relocation payment or rent waiver), paid within 15 calendar days of the notice Applies: For no-fault just causes (owner move-in, withdrawal from market, substantial remodel, government order) on covered units; regardless of the tenant's income. Civ. Code § 1946.2(d)(3)(A)

Who this affects

TenantsLandlordsProperty managers

Frequently asked questions

Does a San Rafael landlord have to pay relocation?

For no-fault terminations in Census Tract 1122.01 only, San Rafael relocation includes 2 times the greater of lease rent or HUD Fair Market Rent.

Relocation payments in San Rafael

Key points

What San Rafael's code says

The California rule underneath

Who this affects

Frequently asked questions

Ask about a specific San Rafael property

More on renting & eviction in San Rafael