AB 2347, which goes into effect on January 1, 2025, will extend the time in which a property tenant must respond to an eviction notice. While the current time frame is 5 business days, tenants will now have 10 business days from the time the complaint is served on the tenant.

The Assemblymember who authored the bill, Ash Kalra of San Jose, said the following:

“AB 2347 will prevent default judgments that evict a tenant based on improper service of summons by requiring landlords to file proof of service with the court and providing tenants with a meaningful amount of time to respond,” Kalra said. “In eviction cases, because the response period for tenants is uniquely short, proper notice of a court filing is critical.”

Landlords argue that extending the time in which tenants must respond could lead to them paying additional costs and losing money due to longer waiting times. This could be especially impactful on landlords who have one or only a few income properties, where they use the rent to pay for property-related expenses.

Landlords also find fault in being required to wait an extra 5 days prior to initiating the legal process.

Tenants will benefit from the extra 5 days in that they will have more time to seek counsel, file responses, negotiate, and seek other options. California’s laws have always been tenant-centric.

Landlords should take time to consult with an attorney and initiate the eviction process as early as possible, especially where a tenant is already late with rental payments.