An unlawful detainer is the California civil lawsuit a landlord files to evict a tenant after proper pre-court notice. Summary procedure with expedited timelines.
UD process: landlord serves the appropriate pre-court notice (3-day, 30-day, or 60-day depending on ground), waits the required period, then files UD complaint in Superior Court. AB 2347 (effective January 2025) extended tenant response window to 10 court days. Trials are scheduled quickly (typically 20–30 days post-response).
LA multifamily UD timelines: 30–90 days from notice to writ of possession on uncontested cases; 90–180+ days on contested cases. AB 2347 has slightly extended these timelines. Factor into any hold-period planning or pre-sale tenant strategy.
From the Sterman LA Multifamily Glossary — defined the way a broker with $1.41 billion across 254 closed transactions actually uses these terms.
Michael Sterman, Senior Managing Director Investments, Marcus & Millichap.
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