KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: EVICTIONS
The Alameda County eviction moratorium ended on April 29, 2023, but you may still have important protections from eviction. Click here to learn more.
What are my rights in an eviction case?
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Spanish
Is my eviction notice legal? Do I need to move out?
All eviction notices have to be written and properly served on tenants to be legal. Also, landlords have to go through the court process to evict tenants, and tenants have the right to fight the case. If you are a tenant, landlords cannot simply change the locks or tell you that you have to leave. That is not a legal eviction.
If you receive a verbal eviction threat from your landlord, or a written eviction notice, or your landlord wants you to sign an agreement and you are not sure if you should sign it, please contact a legal services provider to apply for assistance and advice about your options before you sign anything or decide to move out.
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I received a Summons and Complaint. What should I do next?
The most important thing is to make sure you file a response or "Answer" within five business days of being sued, or you could lose by default. If you were just served, contact a legal services provider to apply for assistance. If you are close to the deadline, use this General Denial packet to file your response.
Note that the Answer form has been updated as of January 2024. You should use the blank UD-105 Answer form found here. We will indicate here once we have updated the Answer form included in our self-help Answer packet below.