The real cost of evicting a tenant includes more than a court filing fee. An owner may face unpaid rent, notice preparation, service, legal work, enforcement, repairs, and another vacancy before a new tenancy begins. Those costs need separate budget lines. Costs and fees can add up quickly, especially alongside a loss of rent.
This guide uses California residential eviction as its legal example. An eviction is an unlawful detainer court process, with notice and service requirements explained by California Courts. The amounts below distinguish verified court fees from hypothetical budgeting assumptions. This is general information, not legal advice or a quote for your case.
Start with the filing fee you can verify
The Judicial Council’s statewide civil fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 lists these plaintiff first-paper fees for unlawful detainer:
| Amount at issue | Statewide filing fee | Schedule item |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $10,000 | $240 | 11 |
| Over $10,000 through $35,000 | $385 | 8 |
| Over $35,000 | $435 | 2 |
The schedule marks these fees as subject to courthouse-construction surcharges in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco. Its appendix provides those counties’ figures. These are not all-inclusive eviction prices. The court’s filing guide explains filing in the rental property’s county and fee-waiver requests. Confirm the court’s current charge before submitting papers.
Budget for the whole case
- Notice preparation: allow for legal review of the grounds, required notice, lease, and local protections. Ask what the quoted service includes.
- Service: obtain a quote for delivering notices and court papers. Multiple occupants, unsuccessful attempts, and different service methods can affect the work.
- Attorney fees: separate an uncontested filing package from an answered case, trial preparation, discovery, and additional hearings. Request a written scope and billing terms.
- Court-related charges: ask counsel or the clerk about additional filings and any writ-related expense relevant to the case.
- Sheriff enforcement: get the applicable sheriff’s current quote rather than using another county’s price.
- Owner time: include records preparation, communications, meetings, and time away from other work.
The process is important to that budget. California Courts describes written notice, filing, service, a response or default request, and a judge’s decision. If the landlord wins possession, a Writ of Possession directs the sheriff’s eviction work. A filing fee alone does not buy those later services or establish that the owner will win.
Lost rent and vacancy can outweigh the fees
Use your own lease rent rather than an old statewide average. Keep rent already unpaid separate from the expected income gap after possession. Taxes, insurance, loan payments, and other carrying costs may continue while income is interrupted.
Hypothetical planning example: assume monthly rent of $2,500, two months of unpaid rent, and one further month of vacancy after lawful possession for repairs and leasing. The income shortfall is $5,000 plus $2,500, or $7,500. Add these illustrative allowances:
| Cost component | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| Unpaid rent and later vacancy | $7,500 |
| Verified statewide filing fee, claim up to $10,000 | $240 |
| Notice and service allowance | $250 |
| Legal-work allowance | $2,000 |
| Enforcement allowance | $200 |
| Repair and cleaning allowance | $1,200 |
| Marketing allowance | $300 |
| Total illustrative exposure | $11,690 |
Only the $240 filing fee is a published court amount, supported by schedule item 11. Every other amount and period is hypothetical, not a California average or promised timeline. This total excludes continuing carrying costs and owner time. Avoid adding the same month’s lost rent twice.
Allow for uncertainty and collection
Build a second budget for a longer income interruption, additional legal work, and more extensive repairs. Ask your attorney which unresolved issues could change the schedule. The court’s landlord overview says cases can take 30 to 45 days or more from service of court papers to move-out. That is not a guaranteed finish date and does not include every prefiling or reletting step.
Keep projected recovery separate from cash available to pay bills. Do not reduce the working reserve by an assumed judgment payment. Discuss any settlement proposal with counsel and compare its documented terms with the cost of continuing the case.
Document turnover without assuming damage
After lawful possession, inspect and record the actual condition. Obtain repair estimates and distinguish repairs from upgrades you already planned. The budget should accommodate uncertainty without assuming an evicted tenant will damage the home. Keep photographs, invoices, payment records, and communications together for legal and accounting review.
Frequently asked questions
Is the filing fee the total cost of eviction?
No. The 2026 statewide fee schedule lists court filing charges. Service, legal work, enforcement, unpaid rent, and turnover need separate budgeting.
Can I change the locks to reduce eviction costs?
No. California Courts says landlords cannot lock tenants out, shut off utilities, or throw out belongings to make them leave. Use the lawful court process.
Sources and verification
Checked October 5, 2026. Recheck county charges when filing; private-service allowances above are hypothetical.
- Judicial Council: statewide civil fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026 — page 1, items 2, 8, and 11, plus county-surcharge note.
- California Courts: file an eviction case — county filing and fee-waiver guidance.
- California Courts: residential eviction — process, sheriff enforcement, and prohibition on self-help.
- California Courts: landlord overview — qualified process-duration guidance.
