Evictions are one of the most important rights that a San Diego property owner has, as they give them the ability to remove tenants from their properties for any reason, including: violating the lease agreement, non-payment of rent, or engaging in illegal activities.
Sadly, even though San Diego property owners are still within their rights to evict their tenants, the reality is that the eviction process in San Diego continues to get more complicated by the year.
In this article, we will break down the reasons why the San Diego eviction process is flawed, and what can be done to improve it.
9,000 Evictions Are Filed In San Diego Annually
With nearly half of San Diego households renting in 2025, it’s no surprise that America’s Finest City also has an average of 9,000 evictions filed each year. Although 9,000 evictions may seem like a manageable number for the Sheriff, the reality is that our hardworking Sheriff’s Department is only able to conduct 2,000 lockouts annually. This means that there is a HUGE gap between evictions filed, and those that go into fruition.
Evictions Live And Die Thanks To Paperwork
Another primary reason for the flawed eviction process in San Diego is the issue with paperwork. Owners must choose from either filing an “Unlawful Detainer” or “Notice to Pay Or Quit.” Sadly, if there are administrative errors, an owner may be forced to restart their eviction paperwork, essentially pushing them back to the beginning and prolonging the eviction process.
Besides paperwork, longtime owners are also familiar with delays from filing the paperwork, to the actual hearing, and these delays have been known to stretch evictions in San Diego out to 1 year.
Tenants also have multiple solutions to fight eviction in San Diego, including access to taxpayer protections and free legal aid. At the same time, owners must pay up to $ 2,500 per eviction filing and are often faced with financial repercussions that can cost them up to $ 20,000 while the tenant continues to live in their property free of charge.
How To Fix San Diego’s Broken Eviction Process?
Besides doing the essentials, such as contacting local representatives about the eviction process in San Diego and being more diligent when it comes to tenant screening, the very best thing an owner can do is hire a professional property manager to manage their rental properties.
For over 20 years, our property management team has taken the heavy lifting of property management off the shoulders of busy property owners. This means that from day-to-day tasks like rent collection or eviction, we save our owner clients the time, money, and hassle of doing those tasks themselves.
Learn more about the property management services we offer by calling us at (866) 545-5303 or click here to connect with us online.
