North Bay local rental law sources

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This source directory lists county and city rental-housing sources across the rest of our footprint: Marin County, Sonoma County outside Petaluma, and Solano County. Petaluma has its own directory. Links checked August 18, 2026

If a source is hard to read, or you cannot find what you need, call 707-762-7777 or email rentals@bundesen.com and we will point you to the right official source. We cannot interpret it or give legal advice.

Source links, not legal advice. This page lists laws and agency resources without explaining or applying them. Local ordinances change; consult a qualified California attorney before acting.

Find a jurisdiction

Links below open county or municipal code, government explainer pages, or local assistance. Source labels identify the type of material. Codes hosted by a jurisdiction's contracted code publisher are labeled as such.

Marin County

Unincorporated Marin County

  1. Marin County CDA, Renting in Marin hub: marincounty.gov/…/renting-marin. Paired official text: Marin County Code Chapter 5.100, hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: just cause; rent increases; mediation; source-of-income protection; rental registry; housing help; jurisdiction look-up tool.
  2. Marin County CDA, Just Cause for eviction page: marincounty.gov/…/just-cause-eviction. Paired official text: Marin County Code Chapter 5.100, hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: covered properties; unit counting; for-cause and no-fault reasons; notice periods; landlord prerequisites; Notice of Tenant Rights; notice verification contacts.
  3. Marin County Code, Chapter 5.100, Requiring Cause to Terminate a Residential Tenancy: library.municode.com (Marin County), hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: purpose; applicability; termination causes; notices; rental registry connection; enforcement.
  4. Marin County CDA, Mandatory Mediation program page: marincounty.gov/…/mandatory-mediation-program. Paired official text: Marin County Code Chapter 5.95, hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: mediation for larger rent increases; participating jurisdictions; request forms; voluntary mediation county-wide; Notice of Tenants' Rights.
  5. Marin County Code, Chapter 5.95, Rental Housing Dispute Resolution: library.municode.com (Marin County), hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: purpose; applicability; mediation procedures; notices; severability.
  6. Marin Housing Authority: marinhousing.org.
    Topics: Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program; affordable housing programs; participant portal and contacts.

Novato

  1. City of Novato, Tenant Protections Ordinance page: novato.gov/…/tenant-protections-ordinance. Paired official text: Ordinance No. 1731 (PDF).
    Topics: Novato Municipal Code Section 4-17; effective date; applicability and exemptions; Notice of Tenant Rights and city forms; eviction-notice copies to the City; comparison chart with state law.
  2. City of Novato, Ordinance No. 1731: novato.gov (PDF).
    Topics: the ordinance text adding Section 4-17 to the Novato Municipal Code; definitions; noticing; relocation assistance; right of return.

San Rafael

  1. City of San Rafael, Cause for Eviction page: cityofsanrafael.org/cause-for-eviction. Paired official text: San Rafael Municipal Code Chapter 10.105, hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: covered units and exemptions; landlord prerequisites; for-cause and no-fault reasons; Notice of Tenant Rights; implementation guidelines; FAQs.
  2. San Rafael Municipal Code, Chapter 10.105, Cause Required for Eviction: library.municode.com (San Rafael), hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: purpose; definitions; termination causes; notices; remedies.
  3. San Rafael Municipal Code, Chapter 10.100, Rental Housing Dispute Resolution: library.municode.com (San Rafael), hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: mediation of larger rent increases; procedures; Notice of Tenant Rights connection.

Fairfax

  1. Town of Fairfax, Renter Protections page: townoffairfaxca.gov/renter-protections. Paired official text: Civil Code §1946.2 and Civil Code §1947.12.
    Topics: the Town's account of the November 2024 Measure I vote on its local ordinances; where its rules now come from; Town Housing Line contacts.
  2. Marin County CDA, Mandatory Mediation program page: marincounty.gov/…/mandatory-mediation-program. Paired official text: Marin County Code Chapter 5.95, hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: the program's participating-jurisdictions list names the Town of Fairfax; request forms.

Mill Valley

  1. City of Mill Valley, Municipal Code: ecode360.com (Mill Valley), hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: the city code table of contents; searchable chapters.
  2. Marin County District Attorney voluntary mediation, via the Marin County CDA mediation page: marincounty.gov/…/mandatory-mediation-program. Paired official text: Marin County Code Chapter 5.95, hosted by the county's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: free dispute-resolution services available to rentals throughout Marin, incorporated and unincorporated.

Sonoma County

Unincorporated Sonoma County

  1. County of Sonoma, Residential Tenancy Protections Ordinance page: sonomacounty.gov/tenantprotections. Paired official text: Ordinance No. 6496 (PDF).
    Topics: County overview for unincorporated areas; ordinance links; termination notices and forms; tenant and landlord resources; relocation information.
  2. County of Sonoma, tenant get-help page: sonomacounty.gov (get help).
    Topics: the County's own directory of legal-help organizations, with addresses and phone numbers.
  3. Legal Aid of Sonoma County, tenant resources: legalaidsc.org/tenant-resources.
    Topics: free representation for income-qualifying tenants; eviction defense; voucher issues; habitability; mobile home park issues.

Santa Rosa

  1. City of Santa Rosa, Rental Assistance page: srcity.org/3944/Rental-Assistance.
    Topics: the City's own Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program inside city limits; tenant-based rental assistance; fair-housing information contacts.
  2. City of Santa Rosa, City Code: ecode360.com (Santa Rosa), hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: the city code table of contents; searchable chapters.

City of Sonoma

  1. City of Sonoma, Mobilehome Park Rent Control page: sonomacity.org/mobilehome-park-rent-control. Paired official text: Sonoma Municipal Code Chapter 9.80, hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: annual CPI announcements; rent-increase applications to the City Manager; appeals through the state Office of Administrative Hearings.
  2. Sonoma Municipal Code, Chapter 9.80, Mobilehome Park Space Rent Protection: sonoma.municipal.codes/SMC/9.80, hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: base rent; annual increases; vacancy decontrol; fair return petitions; information owed to residents.

Solano County and Vacaville

  1. City of Vacaville, Municipal Code: ecode360.com (Vacaville), hosted by the city's contracted code publisher.
    Topics: the city code table of contents; searchable chapters.
  2. City of Vacaville, Housing and Community Services landlord guide: cityofvacaville.gov (housing office).
    Topics: the City-administered Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program; owner participation; inspections; payments; contacts for the housing office that also administers the Solano County Housing Authority.
  3. Legal Services of Northern California, Solano County office: lsnc.net/office/vallejo.
    Topics: free civil legal help for income-qualifying Solano County residents; intake hours and contacts.

About this page. Sources are listed by jurisdiction. Guide links are the publishing government's own explanation of the law, not ours; each is paired with the official text it explains. Where a jurisdiction lists no local tenancy ordinance here, the federal and California directories carry the sources that reach it. Links checked August 18, 2026. This page is not legal advice; the linked sources control. For advice about a specific situation, consult a qualified California attorney.

Keeping up with all of this yourself? We manage rental homes across the North Bay, with full property management or tenant placement. See Owner Services.