Cal. Civ. Code § 229

Liability of tenant holding over after giving notice of intention to quit

In Force
Verified 9/13/2026 · Next check 9/20/2026
effective 9/22/2014New YorkRent Collection

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 229
  § 229. Liability of tenant holding over after giving notice of
intention to quit. If a tenant gives notice of his intention to quit the
premises held by him, and does not accordingly deliver up the possession
thereof, at the time specified in such notice, he or his personal
representatives must, so long as he continue in possession, pay to the
landlord, his heirs or assigns, double the rent which he should
otherwise have paid, to be recovered at the same time, and in the same
manner, as the single rent.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 229, when a tenant voluntarily gives written notice of an intent to vacate by a specific date but then remains in the unit past that date, the law imposes a financial penalty: the tenant becomes liable for double the ordinary rent for as long as the holdover continues. This doubled rent is collectible through the same legal process that would apply to ordinary unpaid rent. The rule applies because the tenant's own notice created the landlord's expectation of possession, making the failure to vacate a distinct legal event.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on September 13, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 229, a compliant operator generally documents any notice-to-quit received from a tenant, notes the stated vacate date, and tracks whether the tenant actually surrenders possession on time. If the tenant remains beyond the date they specified, operators typically pursue the doubled-rent remedy through the same collection channels used for standard rent arrears. Keeping clear records of the original tenant notice and any subsequent communications is a practice commonly associated with enforcing this provision.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 229 means that a notice you voluntarily send to your landlord stating you will leave by a certain date can carry significant financial consequences if you do not actually vacate by that date — specifically, exposure to double rent for the holdover period. Tenants who find themselves unable to leave by the date they specified may want to understand how this provision interacts with any lease terms or other protections before that date arrives. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can help explain how § 229 has been applied and what options may exist in a given situation.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Sep 22, 2014
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References Out

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References In

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Related Rules

§ 3
Tenancy at sufferance; liability for rent
§ 4
Liability of tenant for rent for proportion of land in possession
§ 5
Action to recover rent; evidence

Source Information

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