California Courts Self-Help (Eviction)

The California Courts Self-Help Guide explains how to respond to an eviction, which the court calls an unlawful detainer. It covers homes you rent and has step-by-step guides for tenants. Free self-help centers at courthouses help everyone, no matter how much money you make. Keep in mind that the staff are neutral court workers, not your lawyer, so what you tell them is not private the way it would be with an attorney.

Act fast, because the clock is short. Once you are served with the court papers, you have 10 court days to file your Answer. Court days do not count weekends or court holidays, so this is about two calendar weeks. A 2024 law, AB 2347, doubled the old 5-court-day deadline, effective January 1, 2025. If any older notice or website says you have only 5 days, that is out of date.

If you file nothing by the deadline, your landlord can ask the court for a default. Then the judge can decide the case without hearing your side, and there is no trial. That is why filing on time matters so much. The main form you file is the Answer, form UD-105, which is where you tell the court your defenses.

Filing the Answer costs $225 to $450, based on the amount you are being sued for. If you cannot afford it, you can ask the court to waive the fee with form FW-001. You may qualify because you get public benefits, have low income, or cannot pay for basic needs plus the fees. A fee waiver keeps the cost from blocking your response.

You do not have to do this alone. For a free lawyer, the guide points you to LawHelpCA.org, which looks up legal-aid offices. For rent money, it points to Housing Is Key and 2-1-1 California. Free court interpreters are available for eviction cases if you request one ahead of time with form INT-300. Remember that only the sheriff can remove you, and only after the landlord wins and gets a Writ of Possession. Eviction records are also hidden from the public by default, so a new filing usually does not show up in public case lookups.