Updated June 08, 2023
A California eviction notice is a letter given to a tenant when they have violated their lease agreement. The notice will detail the specific violation and how many days the tenant has to cure the issue. If the tenant adheres to the notice, they will be required to vacate the premises or face eviction.
Table of Contents |
By Type (6)
3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Payment of Rent) – A landlord may serve a tenant with 3-day notice if the tenant has failed to pay rent when it is due under the terms of the lease.
Download: PDF
3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance – Curable) –This form may be used when there are other breaches of the lease other than non-payment of rent. The tenant may fix the problem within three days or will have to vacate the premises.
Download: PDF
3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance – Incurable)– May be used when a tenant has caused issues that the tenant cannot remedy, such as an illegal act. In other words, the landlord wants the tenant to move out. Offenses, such as selling drugs on the property or being a continual nuisance to the neighbors, are examples of these types of issues.
Download: PDF
14-Day Notice to Quit (Domestic Violence Victim)– For victims of domestic violence or stalking. The tenant is able to terminate the lease.
Download: PDF
30-Day Notice to Quit (Month-to-Month Tenancy Under 1-Year)– If a tenant has been on the property for less than a year, a landlord can give a 30-day notice to vacate the premises.
Download: PDF
60-Day Notice to Quit (Month-to-Month Tenancy Over 1-Year) – If the tenant has been on the property at least a year or more, the landlord must give the tenant sixty days notice to vacate the premises.
Download: PDF
Eviction Laws
- Rent Grace Period: As specified on lease agreement.
- Non-Payment of Rent: 3 days. CA Civ Pro Code § 1161(2)
- Non-Compliance: 3 days. CA Civ Pro Code §1161(3)
- Termination (Month-to-Month Lease): 30 days or 60 days. CA Civ Pro Code § 1946.1
- Eviction Lawsuit: Summary Proceedings for Obtaining Possession of Real Property in Certain Cases CA Civ Pro Code, §§ 1159 – 1179a
Court Forms
Complaint (Form UD-100) – This form is to be filled out by the plaintiff and their lawyer. It details the reasons for the eviction and is to be filed with at the courthouse in the county where the property exists.
Cover Sheet (Form CM-010) – The cover sheet is to be filed with the complaint; the information therein will be used to collect statistics of the types and number of like cases.
Summons (Form SUM-130) – The summons is the official notice of a lawsuit. It must be filed with the complaint and cover sheet at the courthouse of the county where the property is located. A copy should be delivered to the tenant following the filing at the courthouse.
Proof of Service – The proof of service is to be completed following the serving of the complaint and summons on the tenant. A copy should be filed with the court clerk once obtained by the landlord.
Answer (Form UD-105) – This form is used so that the tenant can either agree with or deny the statements made in the complaint.
Request to Set Case for Trial – Unlawful Detainer (Form UD-150) – This document can be used once everything has been filed with the courthouse. It is used to set a date for the court case and will indicate the type of trial, the estimated length thereof, and the issues that the judge will likely need to resolve.
Judgment for Unlawful Detainer (UD-110) – This form is to be filled out to officially indicate the outcome of the court case, determining whether it was the plaintiff (landlord) or defendant (tenant) that won.
Writ of Possession (EJ-130) – This is a form that enables the landlord to request that the sheriff’s department remove the tenant from the property if necessary.
When is Rent Late
In California, the rent is due on the date specified in the lease and is considered late if it’s not paid by that date.
How to Evict (Process)
In the event that there is a tenant in possession of a landlord’s property that the landlord no longer wants to occupy the property, the landlord must determine which type of notice to send depending on whether there is a breach or whether the landlord wants to terminate in the natural course of business.
Step 1 – Serve Notice on the Tenant
Serve the tenant with the proper notice depending on the situation:
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Payment of Rent)
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance – Curable)
- 3-Day Notice to Quit (Non-Compliance – Incurable)
- 30-Day Notice to Quit (Month to Month Tenancies Under 1-Year)
- 60-Day Notice to Quit (Month to Month Tenancies Over 1-Year)
Step 2 – Filing Papers with the Court
If the tenant fails to respond in the requisite time period, the landlord may begin the eviction process in court by filing the following documents with the court in the county in which the property is located and paying the requisite filing fee:
Step 3 – Serve the Tenant
The tenant must be served a copy of the documents filed with the court by a civil process server. The process server must fill out a Proof of Service form and provide it to the landlord to file with the court.
Step 4 – Wait for the Tenant’s Response
The tenant has five (5) days to respond to the court if he or she was served in person. Otherwise, they will have fifteen (15) days to respond from the date the summons was mailed. The tenant must respond by filing an Answer (Form UD-105).
The landlord will have to wait to hear from the court to see if the tenant filed the Answer.
Step 5 – Seek a Judgment
If the tenant does not respond, you can ask for a default judgment from the court. You will have to fill out the following three (3) forms in order to have the court authorize eviction:
- Request for Entry and Default Judgment (CIV-100)
- Judgment for Unlawful Detainer (UD-110)
- Writ of Possession (EJ-130)
Step 6 – Deliver Writ of Possession to local Sheriff’s Office
Once the landlord has a judgment and a court-approved writ of possession, he or she may deliver to the local sheriff (Sheriff’s Offices by County) to execute the judgment on behalf of the landlord.
Video
How To Write (Notice To Quit)
1 – Obtain the Appropriate Documents
You may use the “PDF,” “ODT,” and “Word” buttons (beneath the image on this page) to download a workable copy of the California Notice to Quit form. Also, you should make sure the original Lease the Tenant and Landlord have Signed is readily available as the information reported must be the same as that on the Lease.
2 – The Identity of the Tenant and the Location of the Premises
Locate the word “To” preceding the first blank line. Report the exact Name of the offending Tenant or Subtenant on this line.
Now using the Address, as it is reported on the lease, enter the City where the premises is located after the words “City of.” This should be followed by the premises County entered on the blank line following the words “County of.” You will also need to report the premises Zip Code on the blank line following the word “Zip Code.” Finally, on the blank line following the words “number and street as” report the exact Building Number and Street of the premises. If the premises are identified by an Apartment, Suite, or Unit Number, then you must report this on the blank line following the term “Apt.”
The next statement in this section (beginning with the words “In accordance…” will require the Date the Lease was signed to be entered using the spaces following the term “signed on the.” This should be the Calendar Date, Month, and Year of the Signature Date on the lease.
3 – Lease Violation Response
There will obviously be consequences for a Tenant who has seriously violated the terms of his or her Lease. This section will indicate what the Landlord’s reaction to the violation is. There will be three choices here, each for a specific response. Choose the response that is appropriate by marking the corresponding checkbox and filling in any additional information that may be required.
If the Tenant will have the choice of paying an Overdue Amount or vacating the premises within three days, then mark the first checkbox. In this selection, the Name of a Landlord’s Agent who may receive the Overdue Payment must be documented in the line preceding the words “an authorized agent. The Overdue Amount must then be written out on the next bank line then, entered numerically on the blank line preceding the word “enumerated…” Then, on the line beginning with a dollar sign, document the Overdue Amount on the first blank space then the Month and Year of the time period this Amount applies to in the next available spaces.
If the Tenant must affect a certain action (i.e. repairs) within three days or surrender the rented unit, then select the second checkbox and provide instructions as to what must be done to rectify this violation on the blank line provided.
If the Tenant must deliver the rented unit immediately due to illegal activity, then mark the third checkbox and Name the illegal activity on the blank space provided.
4 – For Month-to-Month Tenancies
Month-to-Month Leases require a specific Notice before either party may terminate the agreement. If the Month-to-Month lease has been in effect for less than a year, then only thirty days’ notice is required. However, if the Month-to-Month Lease has been in effect for more than a year, then sixty days’ notice will be required. If you are a Landlord, select the first checkbox (beginning with the words, “I am your Landlord”).
If you are the Tenant, then select the paragraph with the checkbox preceding the words “I am your Tenant.” In either instance, the main paragraph will require the specific Date of Termination for the Month-to-Month Lease reported in the blank spaces provided. The type of Lease will also need to be indicated by checking the box preceding the word “Thirty” or checking the box preceding the word “Sixty.”
5 – Landlord/Agent Signature
The Landlord or Agent of the Landlord must Sign his or her Name on the blank line labeled “Landlord/Agent Signature.”
6 – Delivery Certificate
The individual delivering this document must report the Date it was Delivered, to whom it was delivered to in the “Certificate of Delivery” section. Then, he or she must indicate how this was delivered by checking the appropriate checkbox. Finally, the Delivery Agent is expected to provide a verification Signature on the blank line provided.
