CALIFORNIA SUPERIOR COURT
Eviction Complaint (California UD-100, Unlawful Detainer)
File to take back your rental property — step by step, in plain language
What is UD-100 used for?
The UD-100 is the official California court form that starts an eviction lawsuit. As a landlord, you file it to ask the Superior Court to order your tenant to leave and award you unpaid rent, damages, and attorney fees.
Get a court judgment ordering your tenant to vacate the property and pay the rent and damages they owe, so you can regain possession and recover your losses.
Serving the wrong type of notice, using the wrong service method, or omitting required Tenant Protection Act disclosures can result in your case being dismissed — forcing you to re-serve and refile, adding weeks of delay and additional costs.
Time, difficulty & who this form is for
Average time
30–60 minutes to complete the form; additional time needed to prepare attachments
Difficulty
moderate
Best for
Landlords (individual or corporate) evicting a residential or commercial tenant for nonpayment of rent, lease violations, expiration of a fixed-term lease, or other lawful grounds in California
What do I need before I start?
- Your signed rental agreement (lease or month-to-month contract)
- A copy of the eviction notice you already served on the tenant (3-day, 30-day, or 60-day notice)
- The exact date you served the notice and how you served it
- The total amount of unpaid rent at the time the notice was served
- The monthly rent amount and the day rent is due each month
- The property address, including city and county
- Your California State Bar number if you are an attorney filing on behalf of the landlord
How the walkthrough is organized
Filing information & case classification
Identify the court, the parties (plaintiff and defendant), whether this is a new complaint or an amendment, and whether the case is a limited or unlimited civil action based on the amount claimed.
About the plaintiff
Describe what type of person or entity is bringing the eviction (individual, corporation, public agency, partnership), and state your legal relationship to the property (owner or other).
The rental property and tenancy
State the full address of the rental property, the type of tenancy (month-to-month or other), the rent amount, payment frequency, and who made the original rental agreement with the tenant.
Tenant Protection Act status
Confirm whether the property is covered by California's Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (Civil Code § 1946.2). If it is, state the just cause for eviction and any relocation assistance provided.
The eviction notice
Identify the type of notice served, the date it expired, and confirm the tenant did not comply. For TPA cases with a 3-day notice under § 1946.2(c), include the date of the prior required notice.
Proof of service of the notice
Describe exactly how you delivered the eviction notice — personal delivery, substituted service, post-and-mail, certified mail, or commercial lease method — including dates and the name of any person who received it.
Rental assistance disclosures
State whether you have received or applied for any rental assistance (from any source) for the rent amounts covered by the notice and for rent that came due after the notice. Required in all nonpayment cases.
What happens after I complete it?
Answer the questions, review your document, then follow its official signing and delivery instructions. Downloading does not submit the form.
Start ca-ud100-unlawful-detainer walkthrough