California Unlawful Detainer (Complaint)

In order to continue with the eviction process after giving proper notice to the tenant; each state, county or local court requires official documents to be completed. In California, it’s known as the Unlawful Detainer (Complaint and Summons). Download, fill in, and print this document and take it to the appropriate court with any filing fees if applicable.

Who: This is served on a tenant after the notice period expires and the tenant remains non-compliant.

What: This is the official document used to initiate court proceedings.

When: File this with the appropriate county court, after your tenant has been served with proper notice, has not paid or corrected any violation after the notice period has expired.

Please Note: The Summons and Complaint are served on the tenant personally, by a disinterested third party, usually a licensed process server.