How to evict a tenant in California


1. Give the tenant the initial notice which clearly state the issue and what is required of them to resolve it. There must be a valid reason for eviction such as failure to pay rent, lease violation, unlawful activities, property damages.
2. Post the notice with a deadline for the tenant to respond
3. Once the deadline has passed, you can file with the court by filling out the Summons and Complaint for unlawful detainer forms
4. Once your tenant is notified, they will have five days to respond. If they do not respond, you can ask for default judgement which allow you to order the sheriff to remove the tenant from the property and the court will order the tenant to pay for court and attorney fees. If the tenant files a response or you do not receive default judgement, you will go to trial.
5. The judge will make a decision after hearing both sides. The judge will either ask the tenant to vacate or allow them to remain in the property.