How to Respond to an Unlawful Detainer Summons in Los Angeles County California
If you are a tenant living in Los Angeles County and you have received an Unlawful Detainer Summons you must act immediately. Los Angeles County has the highest volume of unlawful detainer filings of any county in California. Thousands of Los Angeles County tenants face eviction proceedings every year and the majority of those who lose their cases do so not because they had no defense available to them but because they did not understand the process, miscalculated their filing deadline, or did not know where to turn for professional guidance. Understanding exactly what steps to take after receiving an Unlawful Detainer Summons in Los Angeles County is critical to protecting yourself, your family, and your home.
Where Are Los Angeles County Unlawful Detainer Cases Filed?
Unlike Orange County — where all unlawful detainer cases are centralized at a single courthouse — Los Angeles County has multiple courthouse locations that preside over unlawful detainer matters. The courthouse where your case was filed depends on the location of the rental property that is the subject of the eviction. The courthouse name and address will appear on the face of your Unlawful Detainer Summons and is the courthouse where your responsive pleading must be filed before your deadline expires.
The following Los Angeles County courthouses preside over unlawful detainer matters:
Stanley Mosk Courthouse 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012
Compton Courthouse 200 West Compton Boulevard Compton, CA 90220
Santa Monica Courthouse 1725 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90401
Inglewood Courthouse One Regent Street Inglewood, CA 90301
Norwalk Courthouse 12720 Norwalk Boulevard Norwalk, CA 90650
Governor George Deukmejian Courthouse 275 Magnolia Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802
Pasadena Courthouse 300 East Walnut Street Pasadena, CA 91101
Van Nuys Courthouse East 6230 Sylmar Avenue Van Nuys, CA 91401
West Covina Courthouse 1427 West Covina Parkway West Covina, CA 91790
Chatsworth Courthouse 9425 Penfield Avenue Chatsworth, CA 91311
Michael D. Antonovich Antelope Valley Courthouse 42011 Fourth Street West Lancaster, CA 93534
The courthouse identified on your Unlawful Detainer Summons is the courthouse where your responsive pleading must be filed. Filing at the wrong courthouse may result in your responsive pleading being rejected and your deadline expiring without a valid response on file.
If you have not yet received your Unlawful Detainer Summons yet you may determine the Courthouse that is the venue for your Unlawful Detainer Case by reviewing this chart showing which Courthouses preside over evictions for properties located in the different zip codes within Los Angeles County.
What is My Filing Deadline as a Los Angeles County Tenant?
Your deadline for filing a responsive pleading after service of an Unlawful Detainer Summons in Los Angeles County depends on how service was effected on you.
If the Unlawful Detainer Summons was personally handed to you by a process server you must file your responsive pleading within 10 court days from the date service was effected. Day 1 of this deadline begins the first court day after the date the Summons was personally handed to you. AB 2347
If the Unlawful Detainer Summons was served by substituted service — meaning the documents were left with another adult at your residence or place of work rather than personally handed to you — you have 10 court days plus an additional 10 calendar days from the date the documents were left with the other adult. CCP § 415.20
If the Unlawful Detainer Summons was served by posting pursuant to a Court Order — meaning it was posted to the entrance of your residence and mailed to you — you have 10 court days plus an additional 10 calendar days from the date the Summons was posted and mailed. CCP § 415.45
Court days do not include Saturdays, Sundays, or court holidays. Call our office immediately at (657) 510-6534 to confirm your specific filing deadline.
What Types of Responsive Pleadings Can a Los Angeles County Tenant File?
A Los Angeles County tenant who has received an Unlawful Detainer Summons may file any of the following responsive pleadings with the Court before their filing deadline expires:
Answer to Unlawful Detainer Complaint (Judicial Council Form UD-105) — The most commonly filed responsive pleading. An Answer admits or denies the allegations of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint and raises any and all affirmative defenses available to the tenant. Filing an Answer as the initial responsive pleading typically results in a trial being scheduled within approximately 20 days of the landlord filing a Request to Set Case for Trial. CCP § 1170.5
Motion to Quash — Challenges the validity of service of the Unlawful Detainer Summons. Appropriate where service was not effected in accordance with the California Code of Civil Procedure. A hearing on a Motion to Quash is held between 3 and 7 days after the Motion is filed. Prior to filing the Motion the tenant must contact the courthouse to reserve a hearing date. CCP § 418.10
Motion to Strike — A formal challenge to specific portions of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint that are improper or not legally permissible. A hearing on a Motion to Strike is held between 5 and 7 days after the Motion is filed. Prior to filing the Motion the tenant must contact the courthouse to reserve a hearing date. AB 2347
Motion for Demurrer — Challenges the legal sufficiency of the Unlawful Detainer Complaint itself. Appropriate where the Complaint contains fundamental legal defects such as a Three Day Notice that demanded an incorrect amount of rent or that was not served in accordance with the California Code of Civil Procedure. A hearing on a Motion for Demurrer is held within 7 days of the date the Motion is filed. Prior to filing the Motion the tenant must contact the courthouse to reserve a hearing date. CCP § 1170
What Affirmative Defenses Are Available to Los Angeles County Tenants?
A Los Angeles County tenant who files an Answer to the Unlawful Detainer Complaint may raise any affirmative defenses that are supported by the facts and circumstances of their case. The following are among the most commonly raised affirmative defenses in Los Angeles County unlawful detainer proceedings:
— The landlord breached the Implied Warranty of Habitability by failing to maintain the property in a habitable condition. CC § 1941
— The Three Day Notice upon which the Unlawful Detainer Complaint is based demanded an incorrect amount of rent, included impermissible charges such as late fees, utilities, or other charges that are not properly included in a Three Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit under California law, or was otherwise legally defective. CCP § 1161
— The eviction is retaliatory — meaning the landlord filed the Unlawful Detainer Complaint in response to the tenant exercising a legally protected right such as requesting repairs, reporting habitability issues to a government agency, or asserting their rights under California law. CC § 1942.5
— The eviction violates the California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (AB 1482) because the landlord failed to have a valid just cause for terminating the tenancy after the tenant had occupied the unit for 12 months or longer. CC § 1946.2
— The eviction violates the City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) or the City of Los Angeles Just Cause Ordinance because the landlord failed to comply with the applicable local ordinance requirements before filing the eviction lawsuit.
— The landlord accepted rent after serving the Three Day Notice, thereby waiving the right to terminate the tenancy based on that notice.
— The eviction is discriminatory in violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Gov. Code § 12955
Important Tenant Protections Specific to Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County and many of its cities have some of the strongest tenant protection ordinances in California. Los Angeles County tenants should be aware of the following local protections that may apply to their specific tenancy and may provide additional defenses in an unlawful detainer proceeding:
City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) — The City of Los Angeles Rent Stabilization Ordinance applies to most residential rental units in the City of Los Angeles that were built on or before October 1, 1978 and that contain two or more units. The RSO limits annual rent increases, requires just cause for eviction, and imposes specific procedural requirements on landlords before they may lawfully terminate a tenancy. A landlord's failure to comply with the RSO before filing an eviction lawsuit may constitute a complete defense to the eviction.
City of Los Angeles Just Cause Ordinance — Effective April 1, 2023, the City of Los Angeles enacted a Just Cause for Eviction Ordinance that expanded just cause eviction protections to virtually all residential rental units within the City of Los Angeles regardless of when the unit was built and regardless of whether the unit is subject to the RSO. Under this ordinance a landlord must have a valid just cause for terminating any residential tenancy in the City of Los Angeles after the tenant has occupied the unit for 12 months or longer.
Los Angeles County Just Cause Ordinance — Los Angeles County enacted its own Just Cause Ordinance that applies to residential rental units in the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Tenants residing in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County who have occupied their rental unit for 12 months or longer are protected by this ordinance and their landlord must have a valid just cause before terminating their tenancy.
Relocation Assistance Requirements — Under both the City of Los Angeles RSO and the Los Angeles County Just Cause Ordinance tenants who are evicted through no fault of their own — such as through an owner move-in eviction or a substantial remodel eviction — may be entitled to significant relocation assistance from their landlord. The amount of relocation assistance varies based on the tenant's income, length of tenancy, whether the tenant has minor children, and whether the tenant is elderly or disabled. A landlord's failure to provide the required relocation assistance before proceeding with a no-fault eviction may render the notice of termination void.
Los Angeles County tenants should carefully review whether any local tenant protection ordinance applies to their specific rental unit and tenancy before assuming that only state law applies to their situation.
Do Los Angeles County Tenants Need to Pay a Court Filing Fee?
Yes. The Court will require payment of a filing fee at the time you submit your responsive pleading. The amount of the filing fee depends on the amount of monetary damages the landlord is seeking in the Unlawful Detainer Complaint. If you are unable to afford the filing fee you may apply for a waiver by submitting a Request to Waive Court Fees (Form FW-001) together with your responsive pleading at the time of filing.
Eviction Defense Information and Guidance for Los Angeles County Tenants
Tenant Eviction Defense is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving tenants throughout Los Angeles County and Southern California. We are deeply familiar with the unlawful detainer procedures, local court practices, and the extensive array of tenant protection ordinances that apply to Los Angeles County renters — including the City of Los Angeles RSO, the City of Los Angeles Just Cause Ordinance, and the Los Angeles County Just Cause Ordinance.
If you are a Los Angeles County tenant who has received an Unlawful Detainer Summons or a Notice of Unlawful Detainer in the mail from the Court call our Eviction Defense Rapid Response Line immediately at (657) 510-6534, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Our staff is ready to discuss your situation, explain your rights and options under California law, and direct you to the resources and information you need to protect yourself and your family from eviction.
Updated April 12, 2026.