LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeGovernment CodeDiv. 3Pt. 2Ch. 5Art. 2§ 37380 City Property Lease Terms

§ 37380 City Property Lease Terms

Government Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 37380 City Property Lease Terms

Key Takeaways

  • •A city can rent out its property for up to 55 years.
  • •If the city wants to rent it out for longer (up to 99 years), it must follow special rules like checking the market price every few years and letting people vote on it.
  • •The city must tell everyone about the rental plan in the newspaper and hold a public meeting before deciding.
  • •The city must pick the renter who offers the most money after asking for bids in the newspaper.

Example

A city wants to rent out an empty lot for a new shopping center.

The city can rent the lot for up to 55 years without extra steps. If they want to rent it for 70 years, they must check the rent price every few years, let people vote on the plan, and pick the highest bidder after asking for offers in the newspaper.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 37380 City Property Lease Terms

(a) A city may lease property owned or held or controlled by it, or any of its departments, for not to exceed 55 years. (b) Notwithstanding the 55-year limitation in subdivision (a), a city may lease property owned or held or controlled by it, or any of its departments or boards for a period exceeding 55 years but not exceeding 99 years, if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The lease shall be subject to periodic review by the city and shall take into consideration the then current market conditions. The local legislative body may, prior to final execution of the lease, establish the lease provisions which will periodically be reviewed, and determine when those provisions are to be reviewed. (2) Any lease entered into pursuant to this section shall be authorized by an ordinance adopted by the legislative body. The ordinance shall be subject to referendum in the manner prescribed by law for ordinances of cities. (3) Prior to adopting an ordinance authorizing a lease, the governing body shall hold a public hearing. Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be published pursuant to Section 6066 in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the city, and shall be mailed to any person requesting special notice, to any present tenant of the public property, and to all owners of land adjoining the property. (4) Any lease shall be awarded to the bidder which, in the determination of the legislative body, offers the greatest economic return to the city, after competitive bidding conducted in the manner determined by the legislative body. Notice inviting bids shall be published pursuant to Section 6066 in one or more newspapers of general circulation within the city. The provisions of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) do not apply to any charter city, which may utilize a procedure as specified by charter or adopted by ordinance in accordance with its charter. (Amended by Stats. 1983, Ch. 720, Sec. 2.)

Last verified: January 22, 2026

Key Terms

ordinanceconsiderationtenanthearingterminationleaseofferproperty

Related Statutes

  • § 25536.8 Sacramento County Base Property Sales
  • § 25536.9 Merced County Property Sales
  • § 37392.1 Public Sewer Leasing Rights
  • § 37395 City Commercial Property Leases
  • § 6546.3 Local Agency Lease Approval

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Government Code. Section 37380.
View Official Source