A writ of possession is the court order authorizing the sheriff to physically remove a tenant after successful unlawful detainer judgment. Final step of the eviction process.
After UD judgment in landlord's favor, the writ is issued and served. Tenant receives notice to vacate (typically 5 days). If they don't vacate, the sheriff executes the writ — physically removing tenant and possessions. Landlord regains possession of the unit.
Writs of possession in LA County are executed by the LA County Sheriff's civil process division. Scheduling varies from 2–6 weeks after writ issuance depending on sheriff workload. Factor this into any pre-sale vacancy timeline where eviction is involved.
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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