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Answer to Unlawful Detainer

Tenant's response to an eviction (unlawful detainer) lawsuit.

Jurisdiction: California Deadline: 5 court days after personal service (15 if served by mail).

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Everything a tenant needs to defend an unlawful detainer in California: file the answer, prove service on the landlord, attach extra defenses, and waive the filing fee if money is tight.

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What is UD-105?

Tenant's response to an unlawful detainer (eviction) lawsuit in California Superior Court.

What happens if you miss the deadline: If you miss it, the court can enter a default judgment against you.

How to file

Filing fee
First-appearance fee in a limited civil unlawful detainer case is set by Cal. Gov. Code § 70613 and the Judicial Council uniform fee schedule. The dollar amount depends on the amount demanded by the complaint: lower for claims of $10,000 or less, higher above. Recent schedules put the answer fee in the $225-$370 range; the operative number is published on courts.ca.gov and changes periodically, so verify before filing. Pro se tenants who qualify file FW-001 (fee waiver) at the same time as the UD-105.
Filing method
in-person, mail, efile (county-specific; many California courts accept e-filing for unlawful detainer answers, particularly in larger counties such as Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Alameda)
Filing deadline
Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1167 sets the answer deadline. After personal service of the summons and complaint, the tenant has 5 court days (excluding weekends and judicial holidays per CCP § 12 and § 12a) to file. After substituted service or mail-and-post service, the clock typically extends to 15 days, commonly summarized as '15 days after service by mail.' Missing the deadline lets the landlord request a default judgment under CCP § 1169, which produces a writ of possession and effectively ends the case. The court can extend the deadline only by noticed motion or by stipulation; missing the deadline without a court order is a hard loss in nearly every case.
How to serve
POS-030 (Proof of Service by First-Class Mail) is filed alongside the answer to show service on the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney of record. Per Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1015, when the plaintiff has counsel of record, service is on the attorney, NOT on the landlord directly. Service of the answer is by mail under § 1013(a); personal service is also acceptable but rare in pro se practice. The 5-day add-on for in-state mailing under § 1013(a) does not extend the answer deadline (the deadline runs from service OF the complaint on the tenant, not from service OF the answer on the landlord).
Wet signature
Yes, sign in pen after printing.
Notarization
No
Original and copies
One signed original to the clerk, one conformed copy returned to the tenant for their records, and one copy mailed (with POS-030) to the plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney. Practical instruction: print 3 copies, sign all 3 on the verification, file 1, mail 1, keep 1.

Common pitfalls

Two highest-leverage checks for the AI review on UD-105. (1) Deadline. The 5-court-day window is short; the review should flag any indication that the verification date is more than 5 court days after the user's reported personal-service date, since that suggests a default risk. (2) Service of the answer on opposing counsel. Mailing the answer to the landlord directly when the landlord has counsel of record is improper service under § 1015 and can be challenged. The review must check whether POS-030 is addressed to the attorney listed on the complaint when one is listed.

You'll likely also file

Other Ezel-supported forms that commonly file alongside UD-105. Each one has its own guided fill, AI review, and PDF render.

POS-030
Proof of Service by First-Class Mail (Civil)
Required to prove service of your filed answer on the plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney by first-class mail; must be served the same day or next business day after filing.
 MC-025
Attachment to Judicial Council Form
Continuation page used when your defenses or attachments do not fit on UD-105 page 2 (Item 3 affirmative defenses, Item 4 other statements). Attaches as Attachment 3w / 3x / 3y to the parent UD-105.
 FW-001
Request to Waive Court Fees
If the answer fee (Cal. Gov. Code section 70613, in the $225-$370 range) is a hardship, file FW-001 alongside the UD-105 to request a fee waiver. FW-001 does not toll the UD-105 deadline; both go in together.
 UD-150
Request/Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial, Unlawful Detainer
Request / Counter-Request to Set Case for Trial. After UD-105 is filed, either party may file UD-150 to demand trial within 20 days (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. section 1170.5). Tenants commonly file UD-150 right after UD-105 to lock in the fast trial schedule.

Field-by-field guidance

Plain-English notes on every field on the form, with severity for what the AI completeness review treats as a blocker.

Show all 18 fields
Your Name
blocker

Rule 2.111(1) requires the case caption to identify 'the attorney for the party in whose behalf the paper is presented, or of the party if he or she is appearing in person.' Without the filer's name the court cannot route service or identify the answering party.

Your Street
blocker

Caption must include 'office address or, if none, residence address or mailing address (if different).' Pro se filers without an office address must list residence or mailing address.

Your City
blocker

Part of the address required by rule 2.111(1).

Your State
blocker

Part of the address required by rule 2.111(1). Defaults to CA on this form because this is a California court filing.

Your Zip
blocker

Part of the address required by rule 2.111(1).

Your Phone
blocker

Rule 2.111(1) lists 'telephone number' among the items the caption 'must' include. Disability Rights California's pro se guide also instructs tenants to print their phone number.

Your Email
none

Rule 2.111(1) literally lists 'e-mail address' among the items the caption 'must' include, with NO explicit exception for self-represented parties. However, the Disability Rights California pro se guide instructs tenants to print 'name, address, telephone number, and email address' without indicating email is mandatory. In practice, California court clerks accept UD-105 filings from self-represented tenants with a blank email field; no reported clerk rejections on this basis. The rule appears to be drafted with attorneys in mind (also requires fax + State Bar number). For the runtime AI review: do not block or even warn on a blank email for self-represented filers.

Atty For
blocker

Rule 2.111(2) requires identifying 'the party on whose behalf the paper is filed.' For self-represented tenants this is conventionally written as 'Defendant in Pro Per' or 'Defendant, in Propria Persona.'

Court County
blocker

The case caption must identify 'SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF [name]'. Unlawful detainer cases are filed in the county where the property is located (CCP § 1166).

Court Street
blocker

Caption must include the court's street address.

Court City Zip
blocker

Caption must include the court's city and ZIP.

Court Branch
blocker

Counties with multiple courthouses (LA, San Diego, Sacramento, Orange, Alameda, others) require the specific branch name so the clerk can route the file. Failing to specify can result in the answer being routed to the wrong branch and missing the assigned judge.

Case Number
blocker

Rule 2.111(4) requires the case number on every page of every filed document. Without a case number the clerk cannot match the answer to the existing case.

Plaintiff Name
blocker

Caption must include the plaintiff's name. Disability Rights California's pro se guide instructs: 'Print the Plaintiff's (Landlord's) name, exactly as it appears on the Complaint.'

Defendant Caption Name
blocker

Caption must include the defendant's name. In our UI this auto-cross-fills from your_name; the underlying form field is required either way.

Answer Mode
blocker

Form text reads 'Check ONLY ONE of the next two boxes.' Box 2a (general denial) is permitted only if complaint demands $1,000 or less. Box 2b (specific denials) requires listing paragraph numbers admitted/denied. One must be selected to constitute a valid answer; an answer with neither denial mode selected leaves the complaint effectively unanswered.

Uda Used
blocker

Form text states 'Must be completed in all cases.' If a non-attorney UDA was paid for help, their identity, address, registration county, registration number, and expiration date must all be disclosed (BPC §§ 6411, 6412). Software like fill is not a UDA , it's a tool, not a person , so the truthful answer for self-represented users using only software is 'did not.'

Verification Date
blocker

The Verification block at the end of the form must be dated and signed under penalty of perjury. Without a date the verification is invalid and the answer can be stricken on motion.

Ezel is a self-help tool. Ezel is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. You are the filer. Review the form carefully before submitting it to the court, and consult a licensed attorney if you have questions about your case. For free legal help, contact your local legal aid office or court self-help center.

Sources