Santa Clara Landlord-Tenant Rules

Santa Clara adds local rules on top of California landlord-tenant law. Here is what is different, with the city code or agency page behind each rule.

Tenant-landlord counseling and mediation	The City of Santa Clara has a tenant-landlord counseling and dispute resolution program run by Project Sentinel. It is free and offers counseling on tenant and housing-provider rights and responsibilities, dispute resolution and referrals. Mediation is voluntary, and the service is not legal advice or legal representation. Call (800) 339-6043 or email info@housing.org. The City Council has funded Project Sentinel's tenant-landlord mediation program through public service grant agreements, for example for fiscal year 2017-18: https://santaclara.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4240682&GUID=57F3C748-ABE7-4BA5-A1EB-54E021599D55 Source: Official source
Local rental assistance	The City's Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program helps households with income at or below 60% of Area Median Income who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with an emphasis on families with children. It pays deposits and rent subsidies and provides case management. In August 2023 the City Council approved a grant agreement with Abode Services to run the program from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 for about 20-30 households, with an option to extend through June 30, 2025. Whether the program is running or accepting participants after June 2025 was not confirmed. Source: Official source

Tenant-landlord counseling and mediation

The City of Santa Clara has a tenant-landlord counseling and dispute resolution program run by Project Sentinel. It is free and offers counseling on tenant and housing-provider rights and responsibilities, dispute resolution and referrals. Mediation is voluntary, and the service is not legal advice or legal representation. Call (800) 339-6043 or email info@housing.org.

The City Council has funded Project Sentinel's tenant-landlord mediation program through public service grant agreements, for example for fiscal year 2017-18: https://santaclara.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4240682&GUID=57F3C748-ABE7-4BA5-A1EB-54E021599D55

Source: Official source

Local rental assistance

The City's Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program helps households with income at or below 60% of Area Median Income who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with an emphasis on families with children. It pays deposits and rent subsidies and provides case management. In August 2023 the City Council approved a grant agreement with Abode Services to run the program from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 for about 20-30 households, with an option to extend through June 30, 2025.

Whether the program is running or accepting participants after June 2025 was not confirmed.

Source: Official source

Eviction cases in Santa Clara are heard in: Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara - all unlawful detainer cases are filed at the Downtown Superior Court; Clerk's Office, 191 North First Street, San Jose, CA 95113

Local agencies

Project Sentinel (City of Santa Clara tenant-landlord program) — Free tenant-landlord counseling, voluntary mediation and fair housing services. (800) 339-6043, info@housing.org.
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley - Housing Program — Free legal advice and representation for low-income Santa Clara County tenants, including eviction defense, repair problems and housing discrimination. (408) 280-2424.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Self-Help Center — Free help with eviction answer forms; forms can be reviewed at the Restraining Order Help Center, 201 N. First Street, San Jose. 408-882-2926.

Frequently asked questions

What landlord-tenant rules does Santa Clara add on top of California law?

Tenant-landlord counseling and mediation: The City of Santa Clara has a tenant-landlord counseling and dispute resolution program run by Project Sentinel. It is free and offers counseling on tenant and housing-provider rights and responsibilities, dispute resolution and referrals. Mediation is voluntary, and the service is not legal advice or legal representation. Call (800) 339-6043 or email info@housing.org.; Local rental assistance: The City's Tenant-Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) Program helps households with income at or below 60% of Area Median Income who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, with an emphasis on families with children. It pays deposits and rent subsidies and provides case management. In August 2023 the City Council approved a grant agreement with Abode Services to run the program from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 for about 20-30 households, with an option to extend through June 30, 2025.

← All California landlord-tenant rules

Last verified against official sources: October 28, 2026.

How we source this page: each state-specific rule links to the statute, court rule or official government page it comes from. A rule taken from a public copy of a state code (used only where the official code is not freely readable online) is marked as a secondary source. Spot an error? Use the contact page to report it. About our sources

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.