Your lease can be terminated by the landlord at any time during the lease period:
- If the landlord has proof that you or your guests committed an act or series of acts on or near the premises which endangers the landlord or other tenants, or the property of those individuals; or
- If the landlord has proof that you or your guests committed an act or series of acts which constitute a violent or drug related felony.
The landlord must give you three days written notice to quit. The notice must be dated and signed, and must describe the property, the particular time the tenancy will terminate, and the grounds for termination.
If eviction notices are ignored, the landlord must go to court and file a lawsuit. The landlord must serve a summons and complaint. They can be served on you personally or posted on your door (or a conspicuous place on the premises) with a copy mailed on the same day it is filed with the court. If the summons is posted rather than served, the landlord can only get a judgement for possession of the premises, not for money.
The summons must tell you to appear in court in no less than five days. If you do not appear in court as required, the landlord can get judgment for possession on that day.
If you do appear and file an answer, a trial will be set in about five days and the landlord cannot get a judgment until after the trial. Once the landlord obtains a judgment, he or she must wait 48 hours and then get a writ of restitution to have the sheriff put you out. The sheriff usually will give you a day or two to vacate voluntarily before taking forcible action.