Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

Re: tenant law

Interesting question!

Landlords must give written notice, and I do not know of any law or cases covering the tenant's notice. The major question, in my opinion, would be that e-mail is written, but you would need an answer to confirm that the e-mail was received.

And yes, the 30 day period can be at any time---it does not have to be on the first of the month. The law is clear that when there is an unpaid part of the month, that the month is pro-rated on a 30 day basis.

Re: tenant law

Presuming you do not have a long term lease agreement in effect, you should give notice by U.S. mail as this is still recognized as the preferred way to give legal notice (outside of personal service). The law specifically says that a legal notice is deemed made on the day it is put into the U.S. mail, but that the time to perform any act required by law is extended by 5 days. So, to be safe, I would recommend at least 35 days notice. You should also request your landlord do a walk-through on the day you move out, so that you do not get hit with any bogus fees or charges. Presuming you do not have a long term lease in effect, you may give notice at any time.