California Eviction Sheriff Lockout Stage – an Overview

Hi! Welcome back to another tips for landlords and property managers video brought to you by Fast Evict.com Law Group. In this video we will cover one of the steps during a California eviction; the sheriff lockout.

This step comes after you have won at trial and the judge has granted possession back to you. Remember, this step is only necessary if the tenant STILL hasn’t moved out even after they have had their day in court.

After the court grants you the writ of possession, you must take it to the sheriff’s office and fill out other forms that lets the sheriff know of any danger they might find at the property such as guns, gang activity, dogs or anything else that would make the lockout difficult or dangerous for the officers.

The sheriff then posts a 5 day notice on the property to give the tenant one last shot of moving out on their own.

The sheriff will typically give you a small time frame for when they will show up to the property to perform the lockout such as 9 to 11 am. Here are some tips you should consider on the day the California eviction sheriff lockout is performed.

• Meet the sheriff on time! They request you be there 30 minutes in advance of the scheduled appointed time. We suggest you clear your schedule to make sure everything goes according to plan and you get your property back.
• Take a locksmith with you in case the tenant has changed the locks. If this is the case, the locksmith can properly open the door and let the sheriff in. The sheriff will not break in or let you break into the property.
• Sheriff typically enters the rental property and secures the perimeter, making sure there is nobody hiding. Step back and let the sheriffs do their job at a safe distance.
• Sheriff will escort anyone on the property out and let you know when it’s safe to enter your property.
• If the tenant leaves personal belongings behind, you can check out our video “What to do if tenant leaves personal property behind after eviction in California” for full details on what to do next!

Have additional questions? You can let us know in the comments or call for a free consultation. Thanks for watching, please subscribe and share!