To help provide stability in San Diego’s high-cost residential rental market and protect tenants with good rental histories from being evicted unjustifiably, the City Council adopted the “Tenants’ Right to Know” ordinance in March 2004.

Under this law, landlords (owners or property managers) must provide one of nine “just cause” reasons for evicting tenants to whom they’ve rented for two years or more in the City of San Diego.

The nine allowable reasons for issuing a notice to vacate the premises are as follows:

1. Failure to pay rent.

2. Failure to follow lease agreement.

3. Nuisance.
The tenant is committing or allowing activities that cause damage to the rental unit, the property, or to the common areas of the housing complex, and/or interferes with the comfort, safety, or enjoyment of other residents.

4. Illegal use of the rental unit.

5. Refusal to renew lease.
The tenant refuses to sign a written extension of a lease after written request by the landlord.

6. Refusal to provide access.
The tenant has refused to give the landlord reasonable access to the unit in order to make repairs or improvements, or for the purpose of inspecting the unit as permitted or required by the lease or by law, or for the purpose of showing the rental unit to any prospective purchaser.

7. Correction of code violations.
The landlord needs the tenant to move out in order to complete repairs required by city health and safety codes. The landlord must first obtain all necessary permits from the City of San Diego and be prepared to prove that the removal of the tenant from the rental unit is reasonably necessary to accomplish the repair or construction work.

8. Landlord going out of rental business.
The property owner intends to withdraw all rental units, in all buildings or structures on a parcel of land, from the rental market.

9. For occupancy by owner or relative
The property owner, his or her spouse, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child, grandchild (by blood or adoption) or a resident manager plans to occupy the unit as their principal residence.

If you are a tenant who believes your landlord may be violating the Tenants’ Right to Know ordinance, or for further interpretation of the law, please contact an attorney. More information about the ordinance is available through the Tenants’ Legal Center.

Additionally, several local organization provide tenant-landlord dispute mediation assistance.

Note: The San Diego Housing Commission provides this information as useful guide, only, and is not able to guarantee all content is correct and up-to-date at the time you read this. Links and descriptions of various services/resources offered by community organizations and other private agencies are published as a public service and do not constitute a referral or recommendation for services.