Plain-language guides to California eviction law, organized by where you are in the process. Tenant Eviction Defense is a nonprofit serving tenants in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. If you have been served with court papers, start with the second section below—response deadlines are short. Call (657) 510-6534 for assistance.
- Eviction FAQ
- Eviction Notices
- Served With a Summons
- Defenses
- Court Process
- County Guides
- Orange County City Protections
- Other Tenant Rights
Before a Lawsuit: Eviction Notices
A California eviction usually begins with a written notice, such as a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit. A notice is not a court order, and a landlord cannot remove a tenant without first filing an unlawful detainer lawsuit and winning a judgment. These guides explain what a notice requires and what your options are.
Main guideWhat to Do After Receiving a 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit in California
Your options after a three day notice to pay rent or quit, including how to check whether the notice is legally defective.
Do I Have to Leave After I Get a 3 Day Notice?
A three day notice is not an eviction order. What a tenant is and is not required to do after receiving one.
Do I Have to Move Out After a 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit?
What the notice requires, how long you actually have, and what happens if you do not pay or move.
Three Day Notice vs. Unlawful Detainer Summons
The difference between the two documents, and why only one of them starts a court deadline.
Can My Landlord Evict Me Without Going to Court?
Landlords cannot lawfully remove a tenant without a court judgment. What self-help eviction is and what to do about it.
Can a Landlord Charge Late Fees in California?
When late fees are enforceable, when they are not, and how an improper late fee can affect a three day notice.
Served With an Unlawful Detainer Summons
An unlawful detainer summons means your landlord has filed an eviction lawsuit. California tenants generally have 10 court days after service to file a written response, and missing that deadline can lead to a default judgment. These guides explain how to respond correctly and on time.
Main guideHow Do I Respond to My Unlawful Detainer Summons?
Step by step guidance on responding to a California unlawful detainer summons, including which form to file and where to file it.
What to Do If You Receive an Unlawful Detainer Summons
What to do first, what the deadline means, and how to preserve your defenses.
I Received a Notice of Unlawful Detainer in the Mail
What the court's mailed notice means, whether service was proper, and how improper service can be challenged.
How Long Do I Have to Respond to an Unlawful Detainer Summons?
How the response deadline is counted and what happens if you miss it.
What Happens If You Do Not Respond?
How a missed deadline leads to a default judgment and a lockout, and the options that remain.
How to Fill Out the Answer to Unlawful Detainer Form
A walkthrough of the Answer—Unlawful Detainer form, including how to check the correct affirmative defenses.
Eviction Defenses
Tenants can raise affirmative defenses in their written response, such as uninhabitable conditions, retaliation, or a landlord's failure to follow just-cause rules. A defense that is not raised in the response may be lost, so it is important to identify them early.
Main guideWhat Affirmative Defenses Can a Tenant Raise in an Eviction Case in California?
The affirmative defenses California tenants can raise in an unlawful detainer case, from habitability and retaliation to defective notice.
Implied Warranty of Habitability (Civil Code § 1941.1)
How California defines a habitable rental, and how a breach supports a habitability defense.
Rent Withholding and Repair and Deduct in California
How tenants use rent withholding and the repair and deduct remedy, and the risks of each.
Defending Against a Retaliatory Eviction
How California's retaliation presumption works and how tenants raise it as a defense.
Can My Landlord Evict Me for Calling Code Enforcement?
The 180-day retaliation protection and how to raise it in an eviction case.
Does the Tenant Protection Act (AB 1482) Protect You?
How AB 1482 limits rent increases and requires just cause, and which tenancies are exempt.
Rental Property Sold or Foreclosed?
How a sale or foreclosure affects your lease, the notice a new owner must give, and defenses to a postsale eviction.
The Court Process & Strategy
After a response is filed, an unlawful detainer case moves quickly toward trial. These guides explain each stage of the process, the lawful ways to slow it down, and how tenants prepare to win or resolve their case.
Main guideThe California Eviction Process, Step by Step
Every stage of a California eviction, from the initial notice through unlawful detainer, trial, judgment, and sheriff lockout.
How to Stop an Eviction After Receiving a Summons
Six steps tenants take to stop an eviction after being served, from the deadline to the defenses.
How Do I Stop My Eviction in California?
Practical options, from responding to the summons to negotiating a stipulation.
How to Delay Eviction Proceedings
Lawful ways to extend the timeline, including motions to quash, demurrers, and jury trial demands.
How to Win an Unlawful Detainer Case as a Tenant
Service challenges, defective notices, affirmative defenses, and trial preparation.
Recent Changes to California Eviction Law
Recent updates to unlawful detainer law and what they mean for tenants facing a case now.
County Eviction Guides
Each county handles eviction cases in its own courthouses, with its own filing procedures. Find your county below for local court information and county-specific guidance.
Main guideEviction Defense Resources by County
Court information and eviction defense resources for tenants in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties.
Los Angeles County
Orange County
Riverside County
San Bernardino County
Tenant Protection Ordinances for Cities in Orange County
Some cities add just-cause and rent stabilization protections beyond state law. A landlord's failure to comply with a local ordinance can be a defense in an eviction case.
Santa Ana Rent Control and Eviction Protections
How Santa Ana's rent stabilization and just cause ordinance protects tenants, and which units are covered.
Costa Mesa Just Cause Tenant Protections
Just cause, documentation, and relocation assistance requirements before eviction.
Buena Park Just Cause Tenant Protections
How Buena Park Municipal Code Chapter 8.60 applies to tenants facing eviction.
Other Tenant Rights
Served With an Unlawful Detainer?
Response deadlines are short. Speak with our team today about your eviction case.
Call (657) 510-6534 Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.The guides in this library provide general information about California eviction procedure and are not legal advice. Laws and court procedures change, and every case depends on its own facts. See our Important Information & Legal Disclaimer.