What this form actually does
An unlawful detainer case is California's court process for eviction. When a landlord files one, you (the tenant) are served with a Summons and a Complaint—Unlawful Detainer. UD-105 is your written answer: it tells the court, in checkbox form, which parts of the landlord's complaint you dispute and what defenses you're raising. Filing it is what keeps the case alive and gets you a trial date instead of an automatic loss.
Who files it
The tenant (defendant) named in the unlawful detainer complaint. If more than one tenant is named, each person who wants to contest the eviction should generally file their own answer, or all named tenants can sometimes join on one form — check the caption carefully and match it exactly.
Before you start
- Read the Complaint first. UD-105 is built to respond point-by-point to the numbered paragraphs of the Complaint—Unlawful Detainer, so have it in front of you.
- Confirm your service date. The 5-day clock usually starts the day after you were personally served, or follows different rules if you were served by "posting and mailing." If you're not sure how you were served, this changes your deadline — it's worth checking closely.
- Decide if you can afford the filing fee. If not, file FW-001 (fee waiver) at the same time — see our FW-001 guide.
Filling it out, section by section
- Caption. Copy the court name, case number, and party names exactly as they appear on the Complaint you were served.
- Item 1 — General denial. You can check this box only if you have not paid rent claimed to be owed and the amount the landlord is suing for is under the small claims limit. Read the box's own conditions carefully; if it doesn't apply, skip to item 2 instead.
- Item 2 — Specific denials. Check each paragraph number from the Complaint that you dispute — for example, disputing that proper notice was served, or disputing the amount of rent claimed.
- Item 3 — Affirmative defenses. This is where most of the real fight happens: habitability problems (repairs the landlord never made), retaliation for complaining or reporting code violations, discrimination, improper notice, or acceptance of rent after the notice period. Only check boxes that genuinely apply to your situation, and be ready to describe the facts if asked.
- Item 4 — Other statements. Additional facts that don't fit neatly into the checkboxes above.
- Verification. Sign under penalty of perjury. An unsigned answer can be treated as invalid.
Common mistakes that get answers rejected or overridden
- Missing the 5-day deadline — by far the most common and costly mistake.
- Checking the general denial box when the underlying conditions for it don't apply.
- Leaving the case number or party names off, or copying them incorrectly from the Complaint.
- Not filing a Proof of Service or civil case cover sheet where the local court requires one.
- Assuming a defense is "obvious" and not marking the corresponding checkbox at all.
After you file
File the original with the court clerk (in person, by drop box, or through the court's e-filing portal where available) and serve a copy on the landlord or their attorney. Ask the clerk about the court's process for scheduling a trial date — unlawful detainer cases move fast, often to trial within about 20 days of the answer being filed.