Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

It would depend on the specific terms of your lease. Many leases have a "roll-over" or "evergreen" provision that says something to the effect that the lease will turn into a month-to-month rental on the same terms, or will automatically renew for another year, if notice of cancellation is not delivered some set time before the lease is up. In the absence of such a provision, however you are free to move anytime in the last month of the lease as long as you have paid through the end of the month.