Blog / Local rules
LA County Cities That Require Filing Eviction Notices
- At least a dozen places in Los Angeles County make landlords give the city (or the county) a copy of the eviction notice, the court papers, or both.
- Deadlines are short: 3 business days in the City of Los Angeles, 3 days in Santa Monica, Pasadena, Inglewood and Baldwin Park, and 5 days in Culver City, Bell Gardens, Cudahy and Huntington Park.
- Some cities want the court papers too: Pasadena, West Hollywood and Pomona.
- A missed filing can give the tenant a defense and send you back to a new notice. Filing the same day you serve is the safest habit.
California's eviction notices come from state law, but many Los Angeles County cities add a step of their own: after you serve the tenant, you must send a copy to a city housing office within a few days. The rule usually applies to units covered by the city's rent stabilization or just cause ordinance. Here is where it applies, what to send and how fast. You can also use our notice filing tool, which has a button for each city's portal or form.
City of Los Angeles (LAHD)
A copy of every notice to terminate a tenancy in a unit covered by the Rent Stabilization Ordinance or the Just Cause Ordinance, including a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit, must be filed with the Los Angeles Housing Department within 3 business days of service. No fault terminations also require a Declaration of Intent to Evict filed first. Filing is done online through LAHD's portal with a free Angeleno account. See our step by step guide to filing with LAHD.
Unincorporated Los Angeles County (DCBA)
In county areas outside any city, the county's rent stabilization ordinance requires landlords to notify the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs when a notice of termination is served. DCBA provides a proof of service form and accepts it by email, fax or mail. DCBA's posting does not state a deadline, so send it the same day you serve the tenant.
Santa Monica
The city's rent control information sheet says a copy of a termination notice goes to the Rent Control Agency within 3 days of service (not required when the reason is nonpayment of rent), and copies go to the City Attorney's Office within 2 days. Contact the Rent Control Agency for the current filing method.
West Hollywood
A copy of the termination notice and of the summons and complaint must be filed with the Rent Stabilization and Housing Division within 5 days after the unlawful detainer is filed.
Pasadena
Under the Rental Housing Board's regulations, any notice served in connection with a termination of a covered tenancy, including 3 day notices and written notices to cease, must be submitted within 3 days of service, and the summons and complaint within 7 days of service. The city has an online "Submit an Eviction Notice" portal.
Pomona
Pomona's permanent ordinance, in effect since January 1, 2026, requires a copy of the filed unlawful detainer, showing the court, the case number and the proof of service, within 10 calendar days of serving the tenant. The city says 3 day notices no longer need to be submitted. The ordinance still lets a tenant raise the landlord's failure to give the city a copy of the termination notice as a defense, so sending the notice as well is the safer course.
Culver City
A copy of the notice of termination, with the city's own proof of service form, must be sent within 5 days of service by certified mail, return receipt requested.
Inglewood
Inglewood's Housing Protection Ordinance requires a copy of any notice terminating a tenancy, including written notices to cease, within 3 days of service. We could not confirm the current filing method on the city's website, so call the Housing Protection Department before you rely on email or mail.
Baldwin Park, Bell Gardens, Cudahy and Huntington Park
- Baldwin Park: a copy of any termination notice within 3 days, except a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit.
- Bell Gardens: a true copy of the notice with a proof of service signed under penalty of perjury, within 5 days.
- Cudahy: a copy of the notice with a signed proof of service, within 5 days.
- Huntington Park: a copy of the notice with the proof of service, within 5 days.
Each of these cities takes copies through its rent stabilization office; the email addresses are on our notice filing tool.
Cities where we found no filing rule
We did not find a notice filing requirement in Glendale, Long Beach, Burbank, Alhambra or South Pasadena, although several of them have other tenant protection rules. Local ordinances change often, so check with the city if you are unsure.
Common mistakes
- Assuming only no fault notices must be filed. In Los Angeles, Pasadena and several other cities, 3 day notices count too.
- Counting from the date you signed the notice instead of the date you served it.
- Sending the notice without the proof of service where the city requires both.
- Forgetting the second filing of the court papers in Pasadena, West Hollywood and Pomona.
- Not keeping the confirmation. Bring it to court with the notice and the proof of service.
How we help
Our online eviction notices are $150 each. When the property is in one of these cities, your order page shows the city's filing step with a button to its portal or form. If you would rather have an attorney handle the case, request a case review.
This article is general information, not legal advice. We checked these rules against city and county sources in October 2026. Cities change their ordinances and filing methods, so confirm the current requirement before you rely on it.
This article is general information about California law as of its date, not legal advice for your situation. Laws and local ordinances change, and court decisions can be reviewed or reversed. Reading it does not create an attorney client relationship.