(a) A judgment for possession of real property may be enforced by a writ of possession of real property issued pursuant to Section 712.010. The application for the writ shall provide a place to indicate that the writ applies to all tenants, subtenants, if any, name of claimants, if any, and any other occupants of the premises.
§ 715.010.Writ of Possession of Real Property
Title 9. Enforcement of Judgments · Division 3 · Chapter 3. Judgment for Possession of Real Property · Last amended 2005 · Last verified July 28, 2026
In one sentenceSection 715.010 lets a judgment for possession of real property be enforced through a writ of possession of real property that must describe the property, warn occupants of a five-day deadline to vacate, explain the disposal of abandoned personal property, and disclose complaint and hearing dates tied to the unlawful detainer process.
Full Text of § 715.010
(b) In addition to the information required by Section 712.020, the writ of possession of real property shall contain the following:
(1) A description of the real property, possession of which is to be delivered to the judgment creditor in satisfaction of the judgment.
(2) A statement that if the real property is not vacated within five days from the date of service of a copy of the writ on the occupant or, if the copy of the writ is posted, within five days from the date a copy of the writ is served on the judgment debtor, the levying officer will remove the occupants from the real property and place the judgment creditor in possession.
(3) A statement that any personal property, except a mobilehome, remaining on the real property after the judgment creditor has been placed in possession will be sold or otherwise disposed of in accordance with Section 1174 unless the judgment debtor or other owner pays the judgment creditor the reasonable cost of storage and takes possession of the personal property not later than 15 days after the time the judgment creditor takes possession of the real property.
(4) The date the complaint was filed in the action that resulted in the judgment of possession.
(5) The date or dates on which the court will hear objections to enforcement of a judgment of possession that are filed pursuant to Section 1174.3, unless a summons, complaint, and prejudgment claim of right to possession were served upon the occupants in accordance with Section 415.46.
(6) The daily rental value of the property as of the date the complaint for unlawful detainer was filed unless a summons, complaint, and prejudgment claim of right of possession were served upon the occupants in accordance with Section 415.46.
(7) If a summons, complaint, and prejudgment claim of right to possession were served upon the occupants in accordance with Section 415.46, a statement that the writ applies to all tenants, subtenants, if any, named claimants, if any, and any other occupants of the premises.
Plain-English Summary
This is the writ behind most residential and commercial evictions after a judgment of possession. It builds on the general writ authorized by § 712.010, but the contents required here are much more detailed, reflecting how much is at stake for the occupants who receive it. The application itself must let the creditor indicate that the writ reaches not just the named judgment debtor, but also tenants, subtenants, named claimants, and other occupants of the premises.
Beyond describing the property, the writ has to warn that anyone who hasn't vacated within five days of service (or, if posted, within five days of service on the judgment debtor) will be removed by the levying officer, who will then place the judgment creditor in possession. It also has to explain that personal property left behind — other than a mobilehome — will be sold or disposed of under § 1174 unless the owner pays storage costs and reclaims it within 15 days.
The remaining requirements connect the writ back to the underlying unlawful detainer case: the date the complaint was filed, and, unless the occupants were served under the prejudgment claim-of-right-to-possession procedure of § 415.46, the hearing dates available for objections under § 1174.3 and the property's daily rental value as of the complaint's filing. When the § 415.46 procedure was used instead, the writ says so, and the levying officer skips serving the claim-of-right-to-possession form that § 715.010(c) otherwise requires.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does an occupant have to vacate once the writ is served?
Five days from the date of service on the occupant, or, if the writ is posted, five days from the date it's served on the judgment debtor.
What happens to belongings left behind after the tenant is removed?
They're sold or otherwise disposed of under § 1174, unless the owner pays the reasonable cost of storage and reclaims the property within 15 days.
Does the writ affect people who aren't named in the judgment?
It can. The application lets the creditor indicate the writ applies to tenants, subtenants, named claimants, and other occupants of the premises.
What is the prejudgment claim of right to possession mentioned in this section?
A procedure under § 415.46 for serving unnamed occupants before judgment; when it was used, certain hearing-date and rental-value disclosures in the writ, and the separate claim-of-right form, aren't required.
Amendment History
Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 43. Effective January 1, 2005.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 28, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: writ of possession real property californiaeviction writ of possession californiafive day notice to vacate california