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Unlawful detainer hearings in person; remote appearances under CCP Section 367.75 with RA-010 (oppositions on RA-015); Zoom for Department 50 (Richmond/Walnut Creek), Department 54 (Pittsburg) and Department 57 (Martinez); documents for remote hearings served and submitted 3 court days before (no electronic delivery); the Unlawful Detainer Ex Parte Procedure; the eviction process and the Self-Help Center.
California > First Appellate District > Contra Costa County > Superior Court of California, County of Contra Costa
Hearings will be conducted in person. Remote appearances require compliance with CCP Section 367.75 and completion of RA-010. Oppositions to requests for remote appearances require completion of RA-015. Remote access is available as follows: Department 50 Richmond/Walnut Creek Zoom Link Department 54 Pittsburg Zoom Link Department 57 Martinez Zoom Link For all remote hearings, parties must serve and submit documents to the clerk’s office in person, via drop box or overnight delivery 3 court days prior to the hearing. Electronic delivery is not permitted. Unlawful Detainer Ex Parte Procedure Effective 11/25/24 Unlawful Detainer (Eviction) Eviction cases are called an "unlawful detainer" in court. An unlawful detainer lawsuit is the civil process a landlord can use to remove a tenant from his or her rental property and regain possession of the property from the tenant. In California, a landlord may be able to evict a tenant if the tenant: Fails to pay the rent on time; Breaks the lease or rental agreement and will not fix the problem (like keeping your cat when pets are not allowed); Damages the property, bringing down the value (commits "waste"); Becomes a serious nuisance by disturbing other tenants and neighbors even after being asked to stop; or Uses the property to do something illegal. In most cities, the landlord can also evict the tenant: If the tenant stays after the lease is up, or If the landlord cancels the rental agreement by giving proper notice. Other types of legal disputes between landlords and tenants are generally handled in small claims court, such as disputes regarding the return of a security deposit. A landlord cannot evict someone themselves A landlord cannot evict someone themselves without going through the proper steps. It is against the law. Only the Sheriff can evict someone. Even if a tenant is months behind on the rent, the landlord cannot: Make the tenant move out Get rid of the tenant’s possessions Lock the tenant out Cut off the water or electricity Remove outside windows or doors To legally evict the tenant through the process of an Unlawful Detainer, the landlord typically has to: Serve the tenant with the appropriate written notice (there are several types of notices, and the one a landlord serves the tenant with must be appropriate to the specific case circumstances) Wait for the time period in the notice to end File an Unlawful Detainer action if the tenant does not do what the notice asks Expedited proceeding An Unlawful Detainer case is fast. Usually, the tenant has 5 days to file a response. If an Answer is filed, trial is 20 days after that. Additional Information Where to File Court Reporting Services Unlawful Detainer Guide: Department of Real Estate California Courts Self-Help Center – Step by Step Eviction Information Download Unlawful Detainer Complaint Packet Download Unlawful Detainer Answer Packet Self-Help Center If you need further assistance and are a self-represented litigant, you can contact the Self-Help Center by email at selfhelpcivil@contracosta.courts.ca.gov or by voicemail at (925) 608-2128. All Self-Help assistance is via email or telephone. Appointments to review completed paperwork are available on a limited basis, but you must contact us by phone or email to be screened for the appointment. Please note that due to the current complexity of Landlord Tenant law, the Self-Help Center is providing limited assistance. Early Intervention Unlawful Detainer Mediation Services The Congress of Neutrals has been awarded a grant commencing April 1st, 2024 through March 31, 2025 to provide early intervention unlawful detainer mediation services targeted to those litigants at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Threshold. These services will be available in three counties: Merced, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Mediations will primarily take place remotely by zoom with our trained and experienced unlawful detainer mediators. If you are interested in finding out more about the program or you would like to participate, please contact us at barbaral@congressofneutrals.org or contact@congressofneutrals.org
Hearings will be conducted in person. Remote appearances require compliance with CCP Section 367.75 and completion of RA-010. Oppositions to requests for remote appearances require completion of RA-015. Remote access is available as follows: Department 50 Richmond/Walnut Creek Zoom Link Department 54 Pittsburg Zoom Link Department 57 Martinez Zoom Link For all remote hearings, parties must serve a
Reviewer note: Composed 2026-10-08 (California T4 Contra Costa build 2026-10-08) from BenchPath custody ca/t4/ca-contra-costa/pages/self-help__landlord-tenant.html (the page as fetched 2026-10-08; 597454 bytes, sha256 e4bead3b913a6795b202842e225fea7e2704c08aebadab22a9f0a1cd33eb2f87) with html-compose.py (the Orange composer, with Contra Costa's area): the article's content sections (section.jcc-section), news bodies (div.jcc-news-full) and title banners (div.jcc-hero, which on this site can carry a lead paragraph; the first banner's heading, the page title, is chrome) - the site header, menus, breadcrumb and footer lie outside them; each block starts a line and each table cell is set on its own line; chrome removed: 1 item; proof (the multiset of non-space characters equals the containers' text less chrome and scripts) passes.
6 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in GIUSEPPINA MIRANDA's division.
4 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in HILARY CREARY's division.
2 verbatim requirements on divisional requirements in NATASHA DEPRIMO's division.