Updated October 2026 | Authored by Scott Engle, Broker DRE #01332676 | Realty Management Group | Serving San Diego County Since 2005
Last verified against the state code and the San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach municipal codes: October 5, 2026.
If you own a rental in San Diego County and plan to move in, sell it vacant, remodel, or take it off the market, the relocation payment is part of the cost of that decision, and it is not one number. State law sets one month of rent. The City of San Diego sets two, three for a senior or disabled tenant. Chula Vista and Imperial Beach set their own amounts, tied in part to HUD fair market rents, and each requires a city filing within three business days. Which one applies depends on the parcel, not the mailing address.
This page is written for owners. It sets the four rule sets side by side: what you pay, when a tenant qualifies for more, the payment deadline, the city filing, what voids the notice, and the cash-for-keys alternative. Every figure was read against the governing code text on October 5, 2026. If your property is inside the City of San Diego, the full ordinance detail is in our San Diego Tenant Protection Ordinance guide.
Quick Answer
How much relocation does an owner pay in San Diego County? Most cities follow California law: one month's rent for a covered no-fault termination. The City of San Diego requires two months' rent, three for a tenant 62 or older or disabled. Chula Vista requires the greater of two months' actual rent or two months of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent for a unit in a complex of three or more units (three months for an elderly or disabled tenant), and one month's rent otherwise. Imperial Beach follows the state amount except for a remodel or demolition at a complex of 15 or more units, which requires one month's rent plus one month of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent (two months of it for an elderly or disabled tenant).
Can I pay it as a rent credit instead of a check? Yes in every jurisdiction except a Chula Vista unit outside a three-unit building. Either way it is the owner, in every no-fault termination, as a direct payment or a written waiver of rent. It does not come out of the security deposit.
When is it due? Within 15 days of the notice for a direct payment under Civil Code §1946.2(d) and in the City of San Diego and Chula Vista.
Does the city need to be told? In Chula Vista and Imperial Beach, yes, within three business days of serving the tenant. In the City of San Diego, the filing requirement takes effect 30 days after the Housing Commission opens its online registry, which had not launched as of October 5, 2026.
What if a step is missed? The notice is void under state law, in Chula Vista, and in Imperial Beach. In the City of San Diego, unpaid relocation carries liability of at least three times the required amount.
Civil Code §1946.2; SDMC §§98.0701 to 98.0709; CVMC Chapter 9.65; IBMC Chapter 9.90. General information, not legal advice.
Before you pay THOUSANDS... run the numbers.
Relocation can cost one to three months' rent before vacancy and repairs. Before taking the property vacant, find out what it could realistically rent for today.
Get My Free Rental Analysis Call (619) 456-0000In this guide
- San Diego County Relocation Assistance by City at a Glance
- What Is the Relocation Fee for a No-Fault Eviction in California?
- City of San Diego
- Chula Vista
- Imperial Beach
- How Much Is It in Dollars?
- Who Pays Relocation Assistance?
- Can You Stop a No-Fault Eviction?
- Cash for Keys: Buyout Agreements
- What Counts as a Substantial Remodel?
- No-Fault Termination Checklist
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Glossary
- Sources
San Diego County Relocation Assistance by City at a Glance
San Diego County relocation assistance is governed by four rule sets: California Civil Code §1946.2, the City of San Diego Residential Tenant Protections Ordinance, Chula Vista Municipal Code Chapter 9.65, and Imperial Beach Municipal Code Chapter 9.90. Which one applies depends on the property's jurisdiction, the type of rental property, the reason for termination, and in some cases the tenant's age or disability status.
| Jurisdiction | Standard amount | Senior or disabled | Direct payment due | City filing | Protection starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| State law (every city without its own ordinance) | 1 month's rent, or written waiver of final month | No enhancement | 15 calendar days of service of notice | None | After 12 months |
| City of San Diego | 2 months' actual rent, or equal rent waiver | 3 months (62 or older, or disabled) | 15 days from the notice date | Not yet in effect (see below) | Day one |
| Chula Vista, building of 3+ units | Greater of 2 months HUD Small Area FMR or 2 months' rent, or equal waiver | Greater of 3 months SAFMR or 3 months' rent | 15 calendar days of service | City, 3 business days | Day one |
| Chula Vista, 1 or 2 units | 1 month's actual rent, direct payment | No enhancement | 15 calendar days of service | City, 3 business days | Day one |
| Imperial Beach, remodel or demolition, complex of 15+ units | 1 month HUD Small Area FMR plus 1 month's rent, or equal waiver | 2 months SAFMR plus 1 month's rent | 15 calendar days of notice or last day of occupancy, whichever first | City, 3 business days | After 12 months |
| Imperial Beach, all other no-fault | State amount | No enhancement | Per state law | City, 3 business days | After 12 months |
Source: Civil Code §1946.2(a), (d); SDMC §§98.0704, 98.0706(b), (c); CVMC §§9.65.030, 9.65.060, 9.65.070; IBMC §§9.90.030, 9.90.050, 9.90.060. Official code text read October 5, 2026. SAFMR is the HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent for the unit's ZIP code.
What Is the Relocation Fee for a No-Fault Eviction in California?
Short answer: under California Civil Code §1946.2(d), an owner terminating a covered tenancy for a no-fault just cause must provide relocation assistance equal to one month of the tenant's rent in effect when the notice is issued, or waive the final month's rent in writing. A direct payment must be made within 15 calendar days after service of the notice.
State law, under Civil Code §1946.2, is the floor everywhere in San Diego County. It protects a tenant after 12 months of continuous lawful occupancy, or 24 months if an adult occupant was added before the first tenant reached 12. Once a tenancy is covered, a no-fault termination needs one of four grounds: the owner or a qualifying relative moving in for at least 12 months, withdrawal from the rental market, compliance with a government or court order, or a substantial remodel or demolition.
Every no-fault termination carries relocation. The owner either pays one month's rent directly within 15 calendar days of service of the notice, or waives the final month's rent in writing. The notice has to tell the tenant they are entitled to it. If the owner fails to comply, the notice is void. If the tenant receives relocation and then does not move out when the notice expires, the owner can recover it as damages.
That state rule is the whole answer in La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, National City, Escondido, Poway, and unincorporated communities such as Spring Valley: as of our October 2026 review, none has a local ordinance that adds to it. Which cities do is tracked in our San Diego County rent control by city guide.
Bottom line: one month, 15 calendar days, after 12 months of tenancy. Three cities change all three.
City of San Diego: Two Months, Three for Seniors and Disabled Tenants
In the City of San Diego, an owner terminating a tenancy for a no-fault just cause owes two months of the tenant's actual rent in relocation assistance, or three months if the tenant is 62 or older or disabled. The owner may provide it as a direct payment or an equivalent written rent waiver. The ordinance also requires notice to the San Diego Housing Commission, but that requirement is not yet in effect.
Inside City of San Diego limits, which include Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Hillcrest, Normal Heights, Mira Mesa, and Scripps Ranch, the Residential Tenant Protections ordinance, SDMC Chapter 9, Article 8, Division 7 replaces the state amount with a larger one and starts protection on the first day of the tenancy.
Amount, §98.0706(c)(1)(A). Two months of actual rent under the lease in effect on the notice date. Three months if the tenant is a senior, defined in §98.0702 as 62 or older, or disabled. This applies regardless of the tenant's income or length of tenancy.
Form, §98.0706(c)(1). The owner chooses a direct payment or a waiver of currently due or future rent in the same amount. With more than one tenant, a single payment to all tenants named on the lease is allowed.
Deposit, §98.0706(c)(3). Relocation is in addition to the return of any deposit owed. It does not come out of the deposit.
No double payment, §98.0706(c)(4). City relocation is credited against relocation required by any other law. The owner pays two months, not two plus the state's one.
Notice and filing, §98.0706(b). The tenant notice, in 12-point type or larger, states the basis for the termination and the right to relocation. The ordinance requires written notice to the San Diego Housing Commission within three business days of serving the tenant, but only starting 30 days after the Commission opens an online registry. As of October 5, 2026, the Housing Commission states that landlords are not required to notify it at this time and the registry is pending City Council action. Check before serving.
Failure to pay, §98.0709(e). Liability to the tenant of not less than three times the required relocation plus actual economic damages.
The City of San Diego applies relocation to every no-fault ground, including withdrawal from the rental market. The five-year re-rental rule in §98.0706(d) is a separate provision and does not narrow who gets relocation. The Housing Commission publishes the City of San Diego Tenant Protection Guide landlords must give tenants. The full ordinance, including exemptions and the at-fault side, is in our City of San Diego just-cause guide.
Chula Vista: The Greater of HUD Fair Market Rent or Actual Rent
In Chula Vista, relocation depends on the size of the property. For a unit in a residential rental complex of three or more units, the owner owes the greater of two months of actual rent or two months of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent for the unit's ZIP code, or three months under the same calculation for an elderly or disabled tenant. A unit outside such a complex requires a direct payment of one month's actual rent.
Chula Vista's ordinance, CVMC Chapter 9.65, sets no waiting period: §9.65.060 requires just cause to end a tenancy without the state's 12-month threshold. The amount depends on whether the unit is in a residential rental complex, which §9.65.030 defines as one or more buildings on a single lot or contiguous lots with three or more rental units. That threshold reaches most small apartment buildings; see our guide for small-building owners.
Unit in a complex of three or more. The greater of two months of the HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent for the ZIP code or two months of actual rent. For an elderly tenant (62 or older) or a disabled tenant, the greater of three months of each. The owner may pay directly or waive rent in writing in the same amount.
Unit not in a complex. A direct payment of one month of actual rent under the lease.
Deadline. Within 15 calendar days of service of the notice.
City filing. Written notice to the City within three business days of serving the tenant.
Owner move-in. The owner or family member must move in within 90 days after the tenant vacates and live there for at least 12 continuous months.
Failure to comply. Under §9.65.070, an owner's failure to strictly comply renders the notice of termination void.
Because the complex amount is the greater of two measures, it can exceed the tenant's actual rent in a ZIP where HUD's fair market rent runs higher than the lease. Check the current figure for the unit's ZIP on HUD's Small Area Fair Market Rent page on the day the notice is issued. Chula Vista's other landlord rules are in our Chula Vista landlord law guide.
One missed step can VOID the notice. We handle the process.
For properties we manage: the notice, the city filing, and the relocation payment. Flat $199 a month, no leasing or renewal fees.
See How RMG Property Management Works Call (619) 456-0000Imperial Beach: An Extra Payment Only for Large-Complex Remodels
In Imperial Beach, most covered no-fault terminations use California's one-month relocation requirement. A higher amount applies to a substantial remodel or demolition at a residential rental complex of 15 or more units: one month of actual rent plus one month of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent, or one month of actual rent plus two months of it for an elderly or disabled tenant. Every covered no-fault termination also requires written notice to the City within three business days of serving the tenant.
Imperial Beach adopted its current ordinance, IBMC Chapter 9.90, as Ordinance 2025-1253, effective February 19, 2025, with a sunset of January 1, 2030. It keeps the state's 12-month threshold. Its higher amount reaches only owners of 15 or more units, the scale our multifamily management covers.
Enhanced amount, §9.90.060B.1. Only for a substantial remodel or demolition of a unit in a residential rental complex, defined in §9.90.030 as 15 or more units owned by the same owner: one month of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent plus one month of actual rent. For an elderly (62 or older) or disabled tenant, two months of Small Area Fair Market Rent plus one month of actual rent. Direct payment within 15 calendar days of the notice or by the last day of occupancy, whichever comes first, or an equivalent written rent waiver.
Every other no-fault termination, §9.90.060B.2 and B.3. Owner move-in, withdrawal from the market, and any no-fault termination of a unit outside a 15-unit complex carry the state amount under Civil Code §1946.2.
City filing. Written notice to the City within three business days of serving the tenant, for every no-fault termination.
Owner move-in, §9.90.050C. The occupant must move in within 90 days after the tenant vacates and stay at least 12 consecutive months.
Failure to comply, §9.90.060C.5. Failure to strictly comply renders the notice of termination void.
How Much Is Relocation Assistance in Dollars?
The examples below show relocation at monthly rents of $2,000, $3,000, and $4,000. These are illustrative rent amounts, not market-rent estimates. For Chula Vista complexes and qualifying Imperial Beach remodels or demolitions, HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent can increase the required payment, so those rows show the minimum.
| Jurisdiction and tenant | $2,000 rent | $3,000 rent | $4,000 rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| State law, any tenant | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| City of San Diego, standard | $4,000 | $6,000 | $8,000 |
| City of San Diego, 62+ or disabled | $6,000 | $9,000 | $12,000 |
| Chula Vista, 3+ units, standard | At least $4,000 | At least $6,000 | At least $8,000 |
| Chula Vista, 3+ units, 62+ or disabled | At least $6,000 | At least $9,000 | At least $12,000 |
| Chula Vista, 1 or 2 units | $2,000 | $3,000 | $4,000 |
| Imperial Beach, 15+ unit remodel, standard | $2,000 plus 1 month SAFMR | $3,000 plus 1 month SAFMR | $4,000 plus 1 month SAFMR |
Source: Realty Management Group calculation from Table 1.
Who Pays Relocation Assistance?
The owner, in every no-fault termination of a covered tenancy, in every jurisdiction in the county. It is a separate obligation from the security deposit, which is still returned under Civil Code §1950.5; the City of San Diego says so expressly in §98.0706(c)(3). The owner chooses the form: a direct payment, or a written waiver of rent in the same amount. The one exception is a Chula Vista unit outside a three-unit complex, where the ordinance specifies a direct payment.
Can You Stop a No-Fault Eviction?
Short answer: a tenant can defeat a defective one, and the defects are the steps an owner most often skips.
The grounds a tenant can raise are the same list an owner has to satisfy: the reason is not a listed no-fault ground, the notice omits the basis or the relocation statement, relocation was not paid within the deadline, the city was not notified within three business days in Chula Vista or Imperial Beach, or a remodel was noticed without the permit work the ordinance requires. In Chula Vista and Imperial Beach, and under state law, any of those voids the notice and the owner serves again, which in an unlawful detainer means losing weeks of rent. After an owner move-in, a relative who does not actually move in within 90 days in Chula Vista or Imperial Beach, or does not stay 12 months, undoes the ground itself.
Selling is the case owners ask about most. A sale is not a just cause on its own; delivering a covered unit vacant requires one of the listed grounds and its relocation. Whether it is worth more to sell with the tenant in place, sell vacant, or keep renting is the comparison in our rent-or-sell guide. Owners who rented out a former home and now want it back are the subject of our accidental landlord guide.
Cash for Keys: Buyout Agreements as an Alternative
Short answer: an owner can pay a tenant to leave by agreement instead of serving a no-fault notice. In the City of San Diego the agreement has strict form rules, and it cannot pay less than the relocation the tenant would be owed.
A buyout is not a just-cause termination. The tenant agrees to move in exchange for payment, which avoids the notice, the city filing, and the occupancy commitments that come with an owner move-in or remodel. It is often the faster route to a vacant unit before a sale. Inside the City of San Diego, SDMC §98.0707 sets the rules:
Before the offer. A written disclosure stating that the tenant has a right not to enter a buyout, may consult an attorney first, cannot be retaliated against for refusing, and may refuse all future buyout offers for six months by written notice. It also states the tenant's relocation eligibility and amount.
The agreement. In writing, with a copy to each tenant at signing. Required statements appear in bold, at least 14-point type, near the tenant's signature. If the tenant primarily negotiates in another language, an English and a translated version are provided together.
Floor and consequence. An agreement that does not strictly comply is void. An agreement for less than the relocation the tenant would be owed violates the ordinance and is void.
Practical effect: in the City of San Diego the minimum buyout is two months' rent, or three for a senior or disabled tenant. Outside the city, no county ordinance regulates buyouts in the same way, but the state relocation amount is the figure a tenant will compare any offer against.
Bottom line: cash for keys is legal and often faster, but in the City of San Diego it has its own paperwork and the same floor as relocation.
What Counts as a Substantial Remodel?
| Jurisdiction | Work | Vacancy | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| State law | Structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical work requiring a permit, or hazardous-material abatement; not cosmetic | At least 30 days | Cannot be done safely with tenant in place |
| City of San Diego | Same categories; not cosmetic | Cannot be done safely with tenant in place | Permits must be secured before the notice is served |
| Chula Vista | Same categories, permit or abatement required | More than 60 days | Cost of at least $40 per square foot |
| Imperial Beach | Same categories, permit required, or abatement | At least 30 consecutive days | Enhanced relocation only at 15+ unit complexes |
Source: Civil Code §1946.2(b)(2)(D); SDMC §§98.0702, 98.0706; CVMC §9.65.030; IBMC §9.90.030.
No-Fault Termination Checklist for San Diego County Owners
- Confirm the jurisdiction by parcel, not mailing address. A San Diego mailing address is not the same as City of San Diego limits. The relocation amount, the city filing, and when protection starts all follow the parcel.
- Confirm the unit is covered. Exemptions under state law and each ordinance remove some single-family homes, owner-occupied properties, and newer construction. An exemption that depends on a lease notice applies only if the notice is in the lease.
- Pick the no-fault ground and meet its conditions. Owner move-in needs a qualifying occupant for 12 months; remodel needs the permit work described in the ordinance; selling alone is not a ground.
- Calculate the amount. State one month; City of San Diego two or three; Chula Vista complex the greater of HUD Small Area Fair Market Rent or actual rent; Imperial Beach complex remodel adds a HUD component. Use the rent in effect on the notice date.
- Write the notice with the required statements. The basis for the termination and the tenant's right to relocation or waiver. In the City of San Diego, 12-point type or larger.
- File with the city within three business days where required. City of Chula Vista or City of Imperial Beach, counted from the day the tenant notice is served. In the City of San Diego, check whether the Housing Commission registry has opened.
- Pay or document the waiver on time, and keep the file. Within 15 days for a direct payment. Keep the notice, proof of service, the filing confirmation, and the payment record.
Exemptions under state law depend in part on a notice in the lease; how that works is in our AB 1482 exemptions guide. If carrying this file for every unit is not how you want to spend your time, our guide to hiring a San Diego property manager covers that decision.
Frequently Asked Questions: Relocation Assistance in San Diego County
What is the relocation fee for a no-fault eviction in California?
One month of the tenant's rent in effect when the notice was issued, under Civil Code §1946.2(d), or a written waiver of the final month's rent instead. A direct payment must be made within 15 calendar days of service of the notice. The state amount applies only after the tenant has lived in the unit for 12 months, and a notice that does not comply is void. Three San Diego County cities modify the statewide rules with their own local relocation requirements: the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach.
Who pays relocation assistance?
The owner, in every no-fault termination. It is not taken from the security deposit; in the City of San Diego, SDMC §98.0706(c)(3) states that relocation is in addition to the return of any deposit owed. Under state law and in the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach, the owner may choose a direct payment or a written waiver of rent instead, except that Chula Vista allows only direct payment for a unit that is not in a building of three or more units.
Can you stop a no-fault eviction?
A tenant can, if the owner misses a step. The points an owner has to get right: the reason is not a no-fault ground the law lists, the notice is missing a required statement, relocation was not paid on time, or in Chula Vista and Imperial Beach the city was not notified within three business days. Each of those voids the notice in the jurisdictions that say so. For an owner, the defense is the file: the notice, the payment or waiver record, the city filing confirmation, and, after an owner move-in, proof the owner or relative actually lived there for 12 months.
What are the rules for no-fault evictions in San Diego?
Inside the City of San Diego: a no-fault ground listed in SDMC §98.0704(b), a written notice in 12-point type or larger stating the basis and the tenant's right to relocation, two months' rent in relocation, three for a tenant who is 62 or older or disabled, within 15 days of the notice. Protection starts on the first day of the tenancy. The ordinance's Housing Commission filing requirement is not yet in effect. Outside the city limits, the rules depend on the city: Chula Vista and Imperial Beach have their own ordinances, and everywhere else state law applies.
Do I pay the state amount and the city amount?
No, not in the City of San Diego. SDMC §98.0706(c)(4) credits city relocation against any other relocation required by federal, state, or local law, so a City of San Diego owner pays two months (three for a senior or disabled tenant), not three or four. In Imperial Beach the enhanced amount is a separate, specified payment for remodel or demolition at large complexes; for every other no-fault termination Imperial Beach applies the state amount.
Do I owe relocation if I take the unit off the market?
Yes. Withdrawal from the rental market is a no-fault ground under state law, the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach, and each attaches relocation to it. In the City of San Diego, §98.0706(c) applies to no-fault terminations without carving out withdrawal, so the two-month payment applies. The five-year re-rental rule in §98.0706(d) is a separate provision that covers owner move-in, government orders, and remodel or demolition.
Do I owe relocation if I sell the house?
Selling a rental property is not, by itself, a just cause for terminating a covered tenancy under California law or the San Diego, Chula Vista, or Imperial Beach ordinances. An owner who wants to deliver the property vacant must have a legally permitted basis for terminating the tenancy, and if that basis is a no-fault just cause, the applicable relocation requirement still applies. Many owners instead sell with the tenant in place. Whether it makes more financial sense to sell occupied, obtain lawful vacancy, or keep renting depends on the property and the cost of each option.
Do I owe relocation if the tenant has lived there less than 12 months?
It depends on the city. State law protects a tenant only after 12 months of continuous lawful occupancy, or 24 months if an adult occupant was added before the first tenant reached 12. Imperial Beach follows the 12-month rule. The City of San Diego and Chula Vista protect tenants from the first day, so a no-fault termination in either city carries relocation regardless of how long the tenant has been there.
What happens if I pay relocation late or not at all?
Under state law, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach, failure to comply makes the termination notice void, and the owner starts over. In the City of San Diego, SDMC §98.0709(e) makes an owner who fails to provide the required relocation liable to the tenant for not less than three times the required amount plus actual economic damages. On a $3,000 rent, that is at least $18,000.
Can I get relocation back if the tenant does not move out?
Yes, as damages. Civil Code §1946.2(d) and SDMC §98.0706(c)(5) both allow an owner to recover the relocation provided if the tenant fails to vacate after the notice expires, in the action to recover possession.
How do I know which San Diego relocation law applies to my rental?
The property's legal jurisdiction decides which local rules apply, not the city in the mailing address. A property with a San Diego mailing address may be outside the City of San Diego and not subject to its ordinance. Before serving a no-fault notice, confirm whether the parcel is inside the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, another incorporated city, or unincorporated San Diego County.
Which San Diego County cities have their own relocation assistance rules?
As of October 5, 2026, the City of San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach have local tenant protection ordinances that change or add to California's statewide no-fault rules. In La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, National City, Escondido, Poway, and unincorporated San Diego County, Civil Code §1946.2 controls relocation for covered tenancies.
Can I pay the tenant to leave instead?
Yes. A buyout, or cash for keys, is a voluntary agreement and is not a no-fault termination. In the City of San Diego it is regulated by SDMC §98.0707: written disclosures before the offer, a written agreement with required statements in bold 14-point type near the tenant's signature, and a translated copy if the tenant negotiates in another language. An agreement that does not strictly comply is void, and so is one for less than the relocation the tenant would be owed.
Glossary
- No-fault just cause
- A reason to end a tenancy that is not the tenant's fault: owner or family move-in, withdrawal from the rental market, compliance with a government or court order, or substantial remodel or demolition. Every no-fault termination of a covered tenancy carries relocation assistance.
- Residential rental complex
- In Chula Vista, one or more buildings on a single lot or contiguous lots containing three or more rental units. In Imperial Beach, 15 or more units owned by the same owner. The higher relocation amounts in each city apply only to units in a complex.
- Small Area Fair Market Rent
- The ZIP-code-level fair market rent published by HUD. Chula Vista and Imperial Beach use it as a floor or component of relocation for units in a residential rental complex, so the payment can exceed the tenant's actual rent.
Sources
Civil Code §1946.2. Official code text, California Legislative Counsel, subd. (a), (b)(2), (d). Supports the state threshold, no-fault grounds, one-month amount, 15-day deadline, waiver, void notice, and recovery. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
San Diego Municipal Code Ch. 9, Art. 8, Div. 7. City of San Diego, §§98.0702, 98.0704, 98.0706(b), (c), (d), 98.0707, 98.0709(e). Supports the two- and three-month amounts, senior definition, payment form, deposit and credit rules, Housing Commission filing, buyout agreement rules, and treble liability. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
Chula Vista Municipal Code §9.65.070. City of Chula Vista, Requirements upon termination of a tenancy. Supports the complex and non-complex amounts, deadline, city filing, owner move-in rules, and void notice. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
Chula Vista Municipal Code §9.65.030. City of Chula Vista, Definitions. Supports residential rental complex (3+ units), elderly, disabled, and substantial remodel. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
Imperial Beach Municipal Code Ch. 9.90. City of Imperial Beach, Ordinance 2025-1253, §§9.90.030, 9.90.050, 9.90.060. Supports the 15-unit complex definition, enhanced remodel amount, city filing, owner move-in rules, and void notice. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
San Diego Housing Commission, Residential Tenant Protections. San Diego Housing Commission, status of the Tenant Termination Notice Registry and Tenant Protection Guide. Supports that the City of San Diego filing requirement is not yet in effect. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, ZIP-level FMR. Supports the HUD component of Chula Vista and Imperial Beach complex amounts. Primary source, verified October 5, 2026.
This guide reflects California law and the San Diego, Chula Vista, and Imperial Beach municipal codes as of October 5, 2026. Local ordinances are amended, and HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents change annually; confirm current requirements with the city and HUD before serving any notice. Exemptions, at-fault terminations, and the Ellis Act are outside the scope of this page. This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a qualified California attorney about your property.
About the author
Scott Engle is the Broker/Owner of Realty Management Group (DRE #01332676, Corp DRE #02075336). He has been a licensed California real estate broker since 2002, has managed San Diego County rental property since 2003, and founded Realty Management Group in 2005. As of August 2026, RMG manages 400+ units countywide, with management starting at a flat $199 per month, and holds a 4.9-star rating across 127 Google reviews. RMG has been named Best Property Management Company in San Diego by Expertise.com in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
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