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EVICTION HELP

Eviction papers in California: free help

Free, and based on the court's and the legislature's own sources. No account, no payment.

Your deadline

File a written response with the court, usually the Answer (form UD-105), and have a copy served on the landlord, within 10 court days after the eviction papers are served on you. Court days do not count Saturdays, Sundays or court holidays. A letter or phone call does not count.

Your court date or answer date, as printed on the summons or notice of hearing.
The day they were handed to you, left at your home, posted, or arrived in the mail.

Some rules add days when papers are mailed or posted. The date above does not add them.

The rule: within 10 days, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays, after the complaint is served on the tenant

The rule's own words: “the defendant’s response shall be filed within 10 days, excluding Saturdays and Sundays and other judicial holidays, after the complaint is served upon the defendant.”

Source: Code Civ. Proc. 1167(a) (Amended by Stats. 2024, Ch. 512, Sec. 1 (AB 2347), effective January 1, 2025); Code Civ. Proc. 12; Code Civ. Proc. 135

If you do not answer or appear

If you do not file a written response on time, the landlord can ask the clerk to enter your default and a judgment giving the landlord the home, without a trial and without hearing your side. A letter or phone call does not protect you.

Source: SUM-130 (Rev. January 1, 2026, Mandatory Form); Code Civ. Proc. 1169

Cost to answer

Filing an Answer costs $225 when the landlord asks for $10,000 or less, $370 when the landlord asks for more than $10,000 up to $35,000, and $435 above $35,000 (2026 statewide fees). Riverside, San Bernardino and San Francisco add a local charge on some amounts, up to $450. Each tenant who files a separate Answer pays a fee. If you cannot pay, ask the clerk for a fee waiver (form FW-001). From January 1, 2027, the $225 fee covers cases asking for up to $12,500.

Source: Superior Court of California Statewide Civil Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, rows 5, 9 and 12 and the page 14 appendix (Gov. Code 70612, 70614, 70602.5); FW-001 (Rev. March 1, 2026, Mandatory Form); Gov. Code 70614(b) as amended by Stats. 2026, Ch. 98 (AB 2781), effective January 1, 2027

What your papers are called

Summons (Eviction), form SUM-130, printed in English and Spanish (Citación Judicial, Desalojo), served with the landlord's Complaint (Unlawful Detainer), usually form UD-100. Superior Court of California, County of (the county where the home is), unlawful detainer (eviction) case.

Free help

Are you the landlord?

A company landlord, such as an LLC or corporation, generally needs a lawyer to file an eviction in this state.

A corporation that owns the rental cannot file or appear in an eviction case through an officer or employee; it must hire a lawyer. Evictions are heard in Superior Court, not small claims, so the small claims rule that lets a corporation appear through an officer or employee (Code Civ. Proc. 116.540(b)) does not apply. An owner who is a person may represent himself or herself. Whether an LLC landlord may appear through a member was not confirmed in a primary source today (UNVERIFIED); treat an LLC like a corporation and send it to a lawyer.

Source: Superior Court of California, County of Madera, Unlawful Detainer Packet (rev. 03-01-2025), 'Who Can Sue'; Bus. & Prof. Code 6125; Code Civ. Proc. 116.540(b) (small claims only); Code Civ. Proc. 116.220(a)

The court's landlord form: Complaint, Unlawful Detainer (UD-100)

Hello Court never helps with a lockout, removing a tenant's belongings, or shutting off utilities. Only a court order and the officer it names can remove a tenant.

In California, Hello Court gives eviction information and the court's own free help only. It does not prepare eviction papers in California.

Sources read on 2026-10-05.