Can My Landlord Evict Me?

There are not too many things scarier than the thought of being homeless. When renting, tenants can unfortunately be at the mercy of the landlord. If you have received an eviction notice, you may be frantically wondering "" DoNotPay is here to help you understand renters' rights and how to avoid eviction.

Reasons For Eviction

While eviction laws vary by state, city or county, there are similar statutes that regulate legal reasons for eviction across most of the country.

Lawful Evictions

Some of the common lawful reasons a landlord can evict a tenant include

failing to pay rent, violating the terms of the lease or rental agreement or

causing excessive damage to the rental unit

criminal activity (such as drug activity)

Unlawful Evictions

Typically, laws prohibit evictions that are the result of discrimination (specifically, the Fair Housing Act) or

the tenant legally withholding rent.

Eviction Bans

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there were moratoriums placed on evictions at the federal, state and local levels. While many of these eviction bans have been lifted, some jurisdictions do still have bans in place. If you don't know how to check, or when any applicable bans were or will be lifted, a local tenant advocacy group should be able to advise you.

What Can You Do to Fight an Eviction on Your Own?

If you are being threatened with eviction, there are several things you can do to protect yourself and avoid eviction.

Know your rights and obligations. Do your research, and find out if your landlord is within their rights to evict you. Check state, county, and local laws.
Verify the landlord is following the correct procedure. Some states require a written notice before eviction proceedings can begin, and some require a specified amount of time for the tenant to correct any issues. Most states have specific laws against the landlord trying to "self-help" or force you out by changing locks, removing your belongings, shutting off utilities, etc. If the landlord is not following the prescribed process for eviction in your jurisdiction or is harassing you, you will have a better case in fighting the eviction.
Read your lease. If the landlord is claiming violation of lease terms, verify that you are in compliance.
Talk to the landlord. If you are in violation of the lease (perhaps you have a pet in a unit with a no-pet policy, or have a roommate that's not listed on the lease), you may be able to work out an arrangement in a timely manner and avoid eviction proceedings. If you are behind on rent, see if you can come to an agreement regarding back payments.
Seek legal help. You may need to find an attorney to help you fight an eviction, or to sue your landlord for wrongful eviction.

Let DoNotPay Help Protect You from Eviction

DoNotPay understands that when you are facing the possibility of eviction it can be overwhelming. That is why we are here to guide you through it and file your disputes on your behalf.

If you need help with a landlord who is trying to evict you but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 4 easy steps:

Search for and open the Landlord Protection product on DoNotPay.
Select which issue applies to you.
Answer a simple set of questions so our chatbot can collect the necessary information to create your demand letter.
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to send the demand letter to your landlord or roommate on your behalf. If you already tried sending a demand letter and it didn't work, we can help you start the small claims court process.

And that's it! You should hear back from your landlord directly once your demands are sent.

Why Use DoNotPay?

DoNotPay knows that it is stressful and time-consuming to deal with landlords, especially when you don't truly know if a , which is why we provide fast, easy and successful help to protect your renters' rights.

In fact, DoNotPay is here to guide you through all types of rental and landlord issues, and we can help you:

What else can DoNotPay do?

Resolving issues with your landlord is just one of the many things DoNotPay can help you with today. We are experienced at providing a variety of services and solutions to common problems, including:

No matter what you need, DoNotPay is here to help!