Castro Valley and San Lorenzo Landlords: Your Eviction Rules Changed and Nobody Told You

If you own rental property in San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Ashland, Cherryland, or Fairview, the rules for evicting a tenant aren't what they used to be. These unincorporated communities don't have their own city councils -- they answer to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. And the Board made its position clear on February 4, 2025, when it unanimously passed Ordinance O-2025-9, the Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance.

The ordinance took effect on March 6, 2025. It goes beyond California's statewide tenant protections by adding stricter notice requirements, higher relocation payments, and a new administrative step that can kill your eviction case before it even reaches a judge. As Bornstein Law noted, this ordinance adds layers on top of what Sacramento already requires -- and courts are enforcing it strictly.

Here's what changed, where the traps are, and how to avoid getting your case thrown out over a paperwork mistake.

The 3-Day Trap: Mandatory County Notification

This is the rule that's catching landlords off guard. Under the old framework, an eviction notice was a private document between you and your tenant. The county didn't get involved unless you filed a lawsuit.

Think about what this means in practice. Your tenant stops paying rent. You serve a standard 3-Day Notice to Pay or Quit. You do everything right with the tenant. But you forget to email a copy to the CDA within 72 hours. When you file the unlawful detainer, the tenant's attorney raises the missing notification as an affirmative defense. The judge dismisses your case. You eat the court fees, lose weeks of time, and start the entire process over from scratch.

One missed email. That's all it takes.

No-Fault Evictions and the Relocation Bill

The ordinance divides evictions into two buckets: at-fault (the tenant broke the lease or didn't pay rent) and no-fault (the tenant did nothing wrong, but you need the unit back). The Alameda County HCD's summary confirms four allowable no-fault reasons: owner move-in, market withdrawal under the Ellis Act, government-ordered vacancy, and substantial remodel requiring the unit to be empty for at least 30 days (with a mandatory right of return).

Here's the expensive part. Because no-fault evictions displace tenants who followed the rules, the county requires mandatory relocation assistance. And they didn't match the state's formula -- they doubled it.

As CBS Bay Area reported, state law requires one month's rent for no-fault relocation; the county now requires two. Half is paid when the tenant agrees to move. The other half when they hand over the keys. If the household includes someone who's elderly, disabled, under 18, or low-income, you may owe even more under the county's enhanced protections.

The 90-Day Notice for Vulnerable Households

California state law gives landlords a 60-day notice window for no-fault evictions. Alameda County stretched that to 90 days for households that include a minor child, a senior citizen (62+), a disabled person, or a low-income resident. That's an extra month your tenant stays in the unit rent-free while your relocation costs pile up.

And if you serve a 60-day notice when a 90-day notice was required? The notice is defective. Same result as missing the CDA email: your case gets dismissed and you start over.

The Single-Family Home Exception (That's Narrower Than You Think)

If you own a single-family rental in Castro Valley or San Lorenzo, you might assume you're exempt. Maybe. But only if two conditions are both true.

First, the home must be owned by a "natural person" -- meaning you, an individual human. If you transferred the property into an LLC for liability protection (which we generally recommend), that LLC is an entity, not a person. The exemption doesn't apply. Your single-family home is now fully subject to the just cause eviction rules and relocation fees.

Second, you lose the exemption if you own five or more rental units total in the unincorporated areas of Alameda County. The county treats large portfolio owners the same as corporate landlords, regardless of how the properties are titled.

Mandatory Mediation for Rent Increases

The county didn't stop at evictions. Under a companion provision, if you own a property with 3 or more units, your tenants now have the right to demand free, county-funded mediation if your rent increase hits any of three triggers: the increase is 10% or more, it exceeds $75 per month, or it's the second increase within a 12-month period.

When you serve a rent increase that trips any of those wires, you're required to include a written notice explaining the tenant's right to mediation. Leave that notice out and your rent increase is void. Unenforceable. The tenant keeps paying the old rate and you can't do a thing about it until you re-serve with the proper documentation.

What's Coming Next: The Mandatory Rental Registry

County data suggests that many landlords in these communities are still operating under the old rules, either because they don't know about the ordinance or because they're hoping nobody notices. The county has noticed. Alameda County is actively drafting a Mandatory Rental Registry, expected to be introduced in 2026. Once it's live, the county will use software to track your units, monitor your compliance, and enforce the ordinance automatically.

If you're not already treating this ordinance as law, you're running out of runway.

What We're Telling Our Clients

At SLPM Property Management, we manage properties across San Lorenzo, Castro Valley, Ashland, and the other unincorporated communities covered by this ordinance. Here's what we're advising right now:

1. Add the CDA inbox to your eviction workflow. Every single notice gets emailed to JustCauseCDA@acgov.org within three calendar days. No exceptions. Treat it like filing with the court -- because in practice, it's just as important.
2. Audit your ownership structure. If you transferred your single-family rental into an LLC, understand that you've forfeited the single-family exemption. You're now subject to the full just cause ordinance, including relocation payments. Decide whether the lawsuit protection is worth the trade-off, and talk to your attorney about alternatives.
3. Budget for relocation assistance. If you're planning an owner move-in or substantial remodel, budget two months' rent per unit as relocation costs -- potentially more for qualified households. This isn't optional. Half is due when the tenant agrees to leave.
4. Stop doing evictions yourself. Evictions in unincorporated Alameda County aren't DIY projects anymore. A single missing notice, a wrong timeline, a forgotten mediation disclosure -- any of these will get your case thrown out and cost you months of lost rent plus legal fees. Let a professional handle it.