These are the most common exemptions. Civil Code 1946.2 has the full list.
Elderly means 60 or older for a no-fault eviction, and 62 or older for an Ellis Act withdrawal.
The reduced amount needs a building of four or fewer units, an owner with no more than four units plus one single-family home, and no use of the reduced rate in the last three years.
Income at or below 80% of the area median counts like a tenancy of three years or more. The 2026 limit for one person is $93,300.
The 120-day option matters only for own-use notices given on or after 21 September 2026.
About Cash-for-Keys & Relocation Payment Calculator
This calculator shows the legal minimum a landlord must pay a tenant when a tenancy ends for a no-fault reason in California, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Ontario, and links every number to its official source with the date it was checked. Choose whether you are a landlord or a tenant to get a plain-English reading of the result. It shows a typical negotiated range only where a published source exists, and says so when none does. A buyout, often called cash for keys, is voluntary and negotiated, so the legal minimum is the floor an offer can be compared with, not the price of a deal. For Los Angeles it shows what buyouts filed with the city have actually paid, and for San Francisco and Los Angeles it lists the disclosure and filing steps a buyout requires. Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent or saved.
How to use it
- Choose a role (landlord or tenant), the place, the monthly rent and the years in the unit.
- Answer the few questions for that place, such as the reason the tenancy would end, or the number of tenants in San Francisco.
- Read the legal minimum, the sources and the checked date, then click Write the letter to turn the number into an offer, a reply or an agreement.
Frequently asked questions
What is cash for keys?
A voluntary deal where a landlord pays a tenant to move out by an agreed date instead of going through a formal eviction. The amount is negotiated. No law sets a price for it.
Is the legal minimum the same as the buyout amount?
No. The legal minimum is what the law requires when a landlord ends a tenancy for a no-fault reason. A buyout is a separate agreement, and tenants often settle for more because the landlord avoids time and cost. Use the minimum as the floor to compare an offer with.
How current are the figures?
They were checked against the official pages linked under each result on 17 October 2026. San Francisco resets its amounts every 1 March and Los Angeles every 1 July, and Ontario changed its own-use compensation rule for notices given on or after 21 September 2026, so always confirm on the linked source before you rely on a number.
Where does the Los Angeles buyout range come from?
From the Los Angeles City Controller, which published the buyouts landlords filed with the Housing Department from January 2019 to July 2025: 5,991 agreements averaging about $25,069. It covers rent-stabilized units across the whole city, so treat it as a reference and not a price for your unit.
Does it cover my city?
Only California statewide, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Ontario so far. Many other cities have their own rules and higher amounts, including Portland and Seattle. If your city has its own rules, use that figure if it is higher.
Is my information stored?
No. Everything is calculated in your browser. The link to a result carries your inputs in its address so you can share it, and nothing is saved on a server.
Is this legal advice?
No. It is general information and estimates. Laws, amounts and forms change, and your situation may have extra rules. Consider speaking to a lawyer or a landlord or tenant association before you make or accept an offer.
Next step
Write the offer letter or agreement
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