Landlord-Tenant Law

	Overview		Leases		Eviction		Security Deposit

Also known as "unlawful detainer," an eviction is the legal process whereby a landlord forces a tenant to move out of the property.

An unlawful detainer is treated as a civil criminal proceeding because the code describing unlawful detainer states a "tenant is guilty" of this offense, not just liable as in civil cases. Even if a tenant moves and pays the judgment amount, the "conviction" remains on the record for 7-10 years.