1 Published April 7, 2025
Tenant Relocation Assistance
Tenant relocation assistance policies or programs provide relocation assistance (financial and/or other services) to tenants displaced through no fault of their own.
Legal Context
What Does State Law Require?
Under the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482), codified as California Civil Code Section 1946.2, regardless of the tenants’ income, in the case of a no-fault just cause eviction, the owner must notify the tenant of the tenant’s right to relocation assistance. The amount of relocation assistance or rent waiver must be equal to one month of the tenant’s rent that was in effect when the owner issued the notice to terminate the tenancy. This must be provided within 15 calendar days of service of the notice.
California Government Code Sections 7260-7277 specifically address relocation assistance in the context of public works projects, outlining the requirements for providing relocation assistance to individuals displaced by public projects.
They mandate that state and local agencies offer financial assistance and other support to help displaced persons find new housing, which includes covering expenses for moving the household and their personal property. The exact
relocation amount varies but is outlined in the statute.
The Housing Crisis Act of 2019, established by SB 330 (2019) and amended by SB 8 (2021), includes provisions for relocation assistance, primarily for low-income tenants who are displaced when a housing development project demolishes existing
units. The Act mandates that tenants who are displaced due to certain housing development projects, including those forced to move out due to demolition, conversion, or substantial rehabilitation, must receive relocation assistance. The Act does not specify the amount of assistance.
At-A-Glance
RELEVANT STATE LAWS
Tenant Protection Act of 2019
California Government Code §§
7260-7277
Housing Crisis Act of 2019
California Health and Safety
Code §§ 17975-17975.10
POTENTIAL FUNDING
SOURCES
Generally, financial assistance
is provided directly by
property owner. Non-financial
assistance can be funded by
the jurisdiction’s General
Fund.
COST
Low
ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN
Medium
Staff capacity needed for
program design, monitoring
and enforcement, as well
as public and legislative
processes.
EXTRA CONSIDERATIONS
Highly effective
Easy to implement
WHICH P?
Protection
POTENTIAL PARTNERS
Tenant Advocacy Organizations
OPTION FOR TOC POLICY
COMPLIANCE?
Yes!
TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE 2
California Health and Safety Code Sections
17975-17975.10 requires landlords or property
owners to provide relocation assistance to
tenants displaced by the demolition, conversion
or significant rehabilitation of affordable
housing. It specifies the calculation of
relocation assistance, which includes moving
expenses and temporary housing costs, which
varies depending on the tenant’s income and
household size.
How Can Jurisdictions Implement
Programs That Go Beyond State Law?
While AB 1482 requires relocation assistance
in the amount of one-month’s rent for no-fault
evictions, the actual costs of relocation are
typically much higher. Jurisdictions can require
that property owners provide higher amounts
of assistance that better reflect actual costs,
either for all affected tenants or specifically
for vulnerable populations (lower income
renters, seniors, people with disabilities, etc.)
and incorporate benchmarks for amending the
amount(s) over time based on inflation and
other impacts.
Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation Considerations Elements of the Program
• Defined eligible circumstances for relocation
assistance
• Defined eligibility for who receives assistance
(e.g., limited to lower-income tenants)
• Defined minimum amount of relocation
assistance, including any additional
payments for specific populations
• Established requirements for landlord
documentation
Program Design Considerations
Jurisdictions may want to consider the
following:
ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS: Local
jurisdictions can implement enforcement
mechanisms for state law and, if relevant, local
policies, such as checking relocation plans or
reviewing the disbursement of relocation funds.
ELIGIBLE CIRCUMSTANCES: Jurisdictions
can require additional relocation payments
for all households subject to no-fault
evictions, or limit landlords’ obligations
to households at or below specific income
levels, including moderate- or lower-income
households. Furthermore, jurisdictions can
require relocation assistance for temporary
displacement.
RELOCATION PAYMENT AMOUNT AND TIMING:
Rental assistance amounts set by state
law are unlikely to be adequate in the Bay
Area’s extremely high-cost housing market.
Renters who are forced to move face costs for
application fees and background checks, moving
expenses and first/last month rent payments,
as well as security deposits. Rather than the
one-month rent payment required by state law
(equal to the tenant’s rent that was in effect
when the owner issued the notice to terminate
the tenancy), jurisdictions can consider
requiring three-months Fair Market Rent as
defined by HUD. For Ellis Act evictions or owner
move-in evictions, jurisdictions can consider
establishing a fixed amount for any displaced
tenant regardless of income qualification,
with annual increases to this amount tied
to inflation. State law requires landlords to
provide relocation assistance within 15 calendar
days of service of the notice; local jurisdictions
can require it be provided within a shorter
timeframe.
TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE 3
ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS: Establishing additional
payments for low-income tenants, seniors,
people with disabilities and households with
minor children, reflecting the fact that finding
suitable replacement housing that they can
afford can be very challenging and time
consuming.
NON-FINANCIAL SERVICES: Providing services to
support tenants with relocation, such as support
in looking for and securing long-term housing.
Program Implementation,
Administration and Enforcement
Typically, rental assistance policies or programs
are established through ordinances passed by
City Council. Property owners generally provide
direct payment to the tenant, which, under state
law, must be provided within 15 days of notifying
the tenant of the need to vacate. Another option
is for relocation assistance to instead go through
the city or Rent Board, helping to ensure tenants
are paid promptly. The property owner then
reimburses this expense, paying a penalty fee
if they do not reimburse the jurisdiction within
a set period of time. This approach creates
safeguards for the tenant, ensuring they receive
relocation assistance quickly without relying
solely on the property owner to follow through.
The amount of relocation assistance must be equal
to at least three months’ fair market rent, unless
another law (e.g., local, state, federal) requires a
higher minimum amount. Jurisdictions can choose
to limit assistance to lower-income tenants (those
at 80% of AMI or less) or lower- and moderate-
income tenants (those at 120% of AMI or less).
Program Evaluation
To evaluate tenant relocation assistance
programs, jurisdictions can analyze whether
the amount of assistance provided is sufficient
to cover the full cost of moving and securing
new housing; whether assistance is provided
in a timely manner to avoid prolonged
displacement or other financial hardships for
tenants; program effectiveness in helping
tenants find permanent and stable housing;
and tenants’ overall satisfaction with the
program.
TOC Policy Requirements: To comply with
TOC policy, landlords must make relocation
payments for all no-cause or no-fault
evictions. No-fault evictions can occur for
tenants covered under state law (e.g., AB
1482 and SB 330) or local ordinances. For
tenants who are not covered by just cause
eviction protections under state law or
local ordinances, no-cause evictions occur
when a landlord chooses not to renew an
annual lease or provides a notice to
terminate the tenancy that is not required
to state a reason.
Complementary Policies
LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR TENANTS: By
providing legal assistance in addition to
relocation assistance, jurisdictions can help
provide tenants with resources related to
their legal rights and responsibilities before,
during and after the relocation process.
JUST CAUSE EVICTION PROGRAMS: While
Just Cause Eviction Programs limit the
circumstances under which a tenant can be
evicted, they don’t directly assist tenants
with the financial costs of relocation.
Relocation assistance can complement
Just Cause Eviction Programs by providing
relocation assistance for no-fault evictions.
TENANT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE 4
Other Resources
EXAMPLES*
City of Richmond - Fee Schedule
City of Mountain View - Tenant Relocation Assistance Ordinance City of Oakland - Uniform Relocation Ordinance
OTHER RESOURCES
Metropolitan Transportation Commission - Protection Policy 8: Tenant Relocation Assistance *Note that examples have not been vetted for full TOC Compliance.
This document is intended to provide general information and does not constitute legal advice.
Additional facts, facts specific to a particular situation, or future developments may affect the subjects discussed in this document. Seek the advice of your jurisdiction’s legal counsel before acting or relying upon this information. For specific questions regarding TOC compliance, please reach out to [email protected].