Landlords in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic may find themselves requiring the assistance of a skilled eviction lawyer at some point, regardless of how cautious they are in selecting tenants. Unforeseen circumstances can arise during the duration of a lease, and while it’s understandable to extend trust to your tenants whenever possible, there may come a time when taking action becomes necessary to safeguard your investment.
To aid you in this process, we have prepared a comprehensive guide that equips you with all the essential information required for a successful tenant eviction. Nevertheless, it is strongly advised that you engage the services of a seasoned Corona eviction lawyer to ensure strict adherence to due process. By acquiring a better grasp of your legal rights, you can effectively enforce your rental agreement and navigate through the eviction procedure with reduced stress and inconvenience, should it become inevitable.
To initiate the eviction process in Corona, the first step involves issuing a notice to your tenants. This notice serves as a request for them to vacate the property voluntarily. If they choose not to comply, you can proceed with eviction, which legally obligates them to leave. Assisting you in this process, your Corona eviction lawyer will file an Unlawful Detainer Lawsuit in Superior Court, thereby initiating the eviction proceedings. Throughout the lawsuit, you will be referred to as the plaintiff, while your tenant will be identified as the defendant.
It is important to note that you are prohibited from attempting to physically remove the tenant from the property yourself. Therefore, refraining from tampering with their belongings or changing locks to restrict their access is crucial. The eviction process must be left in the hands of the legal system, which typically operates with promptness. The tenant will be served with a copy of the Summons and Complaint, providing them with a five-day period to respond to the lawsuit, should they choose to do so. If they fail to respond and still remain on the property, the court will typically hear your case within a 20-day timeframe, which is significantly faster compared to other legal proceedings.
As previously mentioned, the eviction notice marks the commencement of the formal legal process. Failing to serve such a notice can significantly impede your ability to remove tenants from your property, as they are entitled to a certain period of notice before vacating. It’s important to recognize that tenants also possess legal rights that are safeguarded by the law.
To ensure compliance, your eviction notice must adhere to specific guidelines, making it essential to seek verification before serving it. The requirements may vary based on factors such as the type of property being rented, the duration of the tenancy, and the notice period stipulated in your rental agreement. Engaging the services of an eviction lawyer will greatly simplify matters for you. Inadequate adherence to the rules could grant your tenants additional time to remain in the property or even invalidate the notice, rendering it necessary to serve the correct notice before they can be compelled to leave.
As a property owner, you possess the inherent right to initiate the process of removing tenants from your Corona property if they have fallen behind on rent payments. However, it is imperative to serve a legal notice to fulfill this requirement. The 3 Day Notice to Pay Rent or Quit serves this purpose, allowing you to either collect the outstanding rent or reclaim possession of your property.
Calculating the three-day period can be intricate unless you are well-versed in the intricacies of the law. Generally, you can issue the notice on the day following the rent’s due date, except when it falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or court holiday. In such cases, you must wait for the subsequent business day when the rent becomes overdue, and the three-day period starts from the following day.
To summarize, the timeline for your notice is as follows: the rent due date, the next business day for serving the notice, and the subsequent day when the three-day period commences. These three days run concurrently, irrespective of any circumstances.
Your notice must adhere to the following requirements:
Additionally, the 3 Day Notice can also be utilized for addressing other violations of the rental agreement, such as keeping a pet in a no-pet property. In such cases, the tenant must rectify the violation within the three-day period or agree to vacate the premises.
If your tenancy agreement follows a monthly payment structure, you have the option to issue a 30 Day Notice to Vacate or Quit. However, please note that this typically applies to tenants who have resided in the property for less than a year. Longer tenancies usually necessitate a 60 Day Notice. It’s important to mention that this notice cannot be used for fixed-term leases or if you have agreed to a lease term longer than a month-to-month basis with your tenant.
Under California law, it is mandatory to serve the 30 Day Notice in written form. You are not required to provide a reason for terminating the lease in this notice, as you possess the legal right to end it at your discretion.
It is crucial to refrain from accepting any rent payments from your tenants that would cover a period beyond the expected move-out date. Promptly return any payments received. Accepting such payments would invalidate your notice, requiring you to serve a new one.
When deciding to terminate a lease in Corona, it is vital to adhere to the city’s eviction laws. You cannot evict tenants on discriminatory grounds or as a form of retaliation. For instance, if you have an ongoing dispute with your tenants, it is advisable to resolve the matter before issuing the notice to avoid potential arguments in court that the eviction is retaliatory.
The 30-day period, during which your tenants are required to vacate the property, begins on the day following the service of the notice. Weekends can be included in the calculation until the last day of the notice period. If the final day falls on a court holiday or a weekend, you must grant your tenants until the next business day to move out, potentially affording them a few additional days.
As you may have surmised, the 60 Day Notice serves as a directive for your tenants to vacate your property within 60 days. Consulting with your Corona eviction lawyer will help determine if this notice is required, typically applying to tenants who have resided in the property for over a year. However, in certain circumstances, it can be reduced to 30 days. The following conditions warrant a shortened notice period:
All of the aforementioned conditions must be met to justify a shortened notice period.
When utilizing a 60 Day Notice, the calculation for the period within which your tenant must vacate follows the same rules as the 30 Day Notice. The only difference is that you provide your tenants with a longer timeframe to make the necessary arrangements.
In the case of Section 8 tenancies, which are government subsidized, the rules differ slightly. It is mandatory for all landlords to provide a 90-day notice period in this scenario, considering that these tenants may be particularly vulnerable. Finding a suitable alternative housing option may be more challenging and time-consuming for them.
During the notice period, you are not permitted to raise the rent or implement other changes to the existing agreement. This provision ensures that your tenants are safeguarded against unfair treatment. Similar to other eviction processes, the notice period will commence the day after you have officially notified your tenants. If your tenants do not vacate the property after the full notice period has elapsed, you can proceed to take the necessary steps to remove them with the assistance of your Corona eviction lawyer.
Instead of taking matters into your own hands, it is crucial to file an Unlawful Detainer Lawsuit and allow the legal process to unfold. It is strictly prohibited to change the locks without providing the tenant with a new key, remove their belongings, intimidate them, or resort to any other tactics aimed at coercing them to leave. Engaging in such actions not only exposes you to liability for damages but also puts you at risk of legal repercussions. Courts can impose fines of up to $200 per day for engaging in such unlawful behavior.
Your Corona eviction lawyer can handle the filing of the Unlawful Detainer on your behalf. It is worth noting that approximately half of all cases are typically uncontested, with tenants failing to respond to the lawsuit. In such instances, the Sheriff will serve the tenant with a 5-Day Notice to Vacate, which will be posted on the front door of the property.
Corona eviction lawyers are invaluable in helping you navigate the complexities of residential evictions, which can be intricate due to various stipulations and exceptions that may apply. It is essential to uphold the rights of your tenants, who are, ultimately, being asked to leave their home.
While it is understandable that you may want the eviction process to proceed swiftly to utilize your property investment according to your preferences, deviating from the proper legal procedures will only lead to trouble. Acting in a manner that disregards the prescribed behavior outlined by residential landlord laws can result in fines or legal charges being imposed upon you. Therefore, it is crucial to work within the confines of the law to protect both your interests and those of your tenants.
505 S Buena Vista Suite 201
Corona, CA 92882
(951) 222-0384