Answer cluster
Eviction questions, answered
A landlord notice is usually a step before a court case — not a judgment and not a lockout. Court papers name a court, a case number, or an appearance date. How long a notice runs is a state question, not a national number.
You do not have to solve the whole case tonight. Take the next right step.
Is a landlord notice the same as being evicted?
No. A landlord notice is usually a step before a court case — not a judgment and not a lockout. If the paper names a court, a case number, or an appearance date, a case has been filed. Date it, keep the original, and call legal aid the same day.
Open the full answerIs an eviction notice the same as being evicted?
No. A notice is a step a landlord takes before filing. In most states an eviction is completed only through a court case and an order carried out by a law-enforcement officer. Whether the notice in your hands is a pre-filing notice or actual court papers is the first thing to identify — look for a court name and a case number.
Open the full answerWhat happens if I do nothing?
In most courts, not responding by the stated deadline leads to a default judgment for the landlord. That is generally the worst available outcome, because it removes the chance to be heard. If a deadline is close, contacting legal aid or the court's self-help center the same day is the highest-value action available.
Open the full answerCan my landlord change the locks or remove my things?
In most states a landlord may not carry out a removal personally, and lockouts, utility shutoffs, and removal of belongings are treated separately from the court process. If this is happening now, it is an emergency: contact legal aid, the local court self-help center, or in an unsafe situation, emergency services.
Open the full answerWill an eviction filing show up on my record?
Court filings are generally public records in the United States, and tenant-screening companies commonly report them. Rules on what may be reported, and for how long, differ by state and by federal consumer-reporting law. A legal-aid office can explain what applies where you live.
Open the full answerDo I need a lawyer?
Many tenants appear without one. But eviction is the situation where free legal help changes outcomes most, and in some cities tenants facing eviction have a right to counsel. Starting with LawHelp.org or 211 costs nothing and takes minutes.
Open the full answerDoes an eviction notice work the same in every state?
No. What the notice must say, how long it runs, and how fast you must answer are state — and sometimes city — questions. This guide explains the sequence. Your state page names the official chapter. Legal aid applies it to the paper in your hand.
Open the full answerWhere do I confirm the eviction rule for my address?
Open Rights, search your state, and read the official statute and legal-aid links. If the paper names a court, call legal aid the same day — do not wait on a national chart.
Open the full answerDoes Good Cause eviction apply to my NYC unit?
New York added a statewide overlay that limits some evictions and some increases — coverage is not every unit, and it is not a substitute for Housing Court procedure. Ask legal aid with your lease and the paper in your hand. Do not treat a social-media summary as the coverage map.
Open the full answerDoes Stay Housed LA replace legal aid?
No. Stay Housed LA is a City-backed eviction-defense network. It is one of the right local doors when a notice or an unlawful detainer arrives. It is not this classroom, and it is not a guarantee. Court papers in Los Angeles County Superior Court are still same-day work.
Open the full answerWho hears an eviction in Chicago?
Cook County Circuit Court, often in the Municipal Department’s housing calls. A landlord notice is not a judgment. Papers that name a court or a case number mean a case has been filed. Legal aid the same day. The RLTO does not replace that court.
Open the full answerCan my Houston landlord lock me out?
Texas has specific rules on when a lockout is even discussed, and they are easy to get wrong. Photograph what happened. Call legal aid the same day. 911 if you are locked out tonight and unsafe. This desk does not reprint the lockout procedure.
Open the full answerWhere are evictions heard in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia Municipal Court hears landlord-tenant cases. A notice is a step. A complaint with a court name is a case. Legal aid the same day. Do not use a Pittsburgh process on a Philadelphia address.
Open the full answerWho hears an eviction in San Francisco?
San Francisco Superior Court hears unlawful detainers. The Rent Board is not that court. A notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid. Tenant counseling groups in the City are local doors, not this classroom.
Open the full answerWhere are evictions heard in Seattle?
King County Superior Court hears unlawful detainer cases. A landlord notice is not a judgment. If the paper names a court, call legal aid the same day. City ordinances do not replace that court.
Open the full answerIs a Portland landlord notice the same as being evicted?
No. A written notice is a step. An FED filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court is a case. If the paper names the court, call legal aid the same day. Rental Services can explain local notice rules; it cannot appear for you.
Open the full answerWho hears an eviction in Detroit?
36th District Court hears many landlord-tenant cases in Detroit. Michigan law is the baseline. Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental and 311 are the City conditions doors. A notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerWhich township court hears my Indianapolis eviction?
Marion County township small-claims courts hear many possession cases. The township named on the paper matters. Indiana statutes are the baseline. A Chicago RLTO process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhich magisterial district hears my Pittsburgh eviction?
Most evictions start in a magisterial district court. The district number on the paper matters. Pittsburgh PLI inspects conditions. Philadelphia L&I is a different city. Pennsylvania’s Landlord and Tenant Act is the floor.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Raleigh eviction?
Wake County small claims — often called summary ejectment. North Carolina Chapter 42 is the book. Raleigh 311/code is the conditions door. A Charlotte ordinance is not a Raleigh ordinance.
Open the full answerWhat court hears an eviction in Alabama?
Many Alabama possession cases are filed as unlawful detainer in district court. A landlord notice is a step. Papers that name a court or a case number mean a case has been filed. Call legal aid the same day. Do not import a Georgia magistrate dispossessory process.
Open the full answerWhere do I start with an Alaska notice?
Read it for a court name. Alaska District Court is a common possession forum. Keep the paper. Legal aid the same day if a court is named. 211 still finds local services.
Open the full answerWho hears an eviction in Arizona?
Justice courts hear most residential eviction cases. Phoenix is Maricopa County; Tucson is Pima County. Mixing those counties is the wrong stack. A landlord notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerWhat court hears an Arkansas eviction?
District Court hears many landlord-tenant cases. Little Rock is Pulaski County. A landlord notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid. Do not import a Missouri process.
Open the full answerWhat is an unlawful detainer in California?
That is the Superior Court case to recover possession. A landlord notice is a step. An unlawful detainer with a case number is a case. Legal aid the same day. Stay Housed LA is a Los Angeles door, not a statewide court.
Open the full answerWhich court hears a Colorado eviction?
County Court hears many residential evictions. Confirm the county of the unit. A landlord notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerWhat is the Housing Session in Connecticut?
Connecticut hears many landlord-tenant cases in a Housing Session of the Superior Court. A notice is a step. Housing Session papers are same-day legal aid. Hartford Licenses and Inspections is not that court.
Open the full answerWho hears an eviction in Delaware?
Justice of the Peace Court hears many landlord-tenant cases. Delaware’s Residential Landlord-Tenant Code is the book. Pennsylvania’s Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 stops at the state line.
Open the full answerWhere are DC possession cases heard?
Superior Court of the District of Columbia. A notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid. 311 and DHCD are City doors, not the court.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Florida eviction?
County court hears most residential evictions. A landlord notice is a step. Papers that name the county court are a case. Legal aid the same day.
Open the full answerWhat is a dispossessory in Georgia?
That is Georgia’s eviction case, often filed in magistrate court. A notice is a step. A dispossessory with a court name is a case. Fulton and DeKalb are different counties — confirm which one the unit sits in.
Open the full answerWhat court hears an Idaho eviction?
Magistrate court hears many landlord-tenant cases. Ada County is Boise. Idaho statutes are the book. A Washington RCW 59.18 process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears an Illinois eviction?
Circuit Court, often in a municipal housing call in Chicago. A notice is a step. A forcible-entry filing is a case. Legal aid the same day.
Open the full answerWhich Indiana court hears my eviction?
Township small-claims courts hear many possession cases in Marion County (Indianapolis). The township named on the paper matters. Indiana statutes are the baseline. A Chicago RLTO process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Louisiana eviction?
Parish courts — First City Court in parts of New Orleans, other parish courts elsewhere. Confirm the parish on the paper. A notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Maine eviction?
District Court hears many Forcible Entry and Detainer cases. Maine landlord-tenant statutes are the book. A Massachusetts Housing Court process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat is rent court in Maryland?
District Court hears many failure-to-pay and tenant-holding-over cases, often called rent court. Baltimore City is not Baltimore County. Confirm the government of the address. A notice is a step.
Open the full answerWhat is summary process in Massachusetts?
That is the eviction case, often heard in Housing Court where a session exists, otherwise District Court. A notice to quit is a step. Summary-process papers are same-day legal aid.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Michigan eviction?
District Court. Detroit’s 36th District is not Grand Rapids’ 61st. A notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid. Michigan statutes are the floor.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Minnesota eviction?
Housing Court in some Twin Cities counties; district court elsewhere. Confirm the county on the paper. A notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Mississippi eviction?
Justice court hears many landlord-tenant cases. Mississippi’s Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is the book. A Louisiana Civil Code process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Missouri eviction?
Associate circuit or other local court named on the paper. A notice is a step. Legal aid the same day if a court is named.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a New Hampshire eviction?
Circuit Court, District Division, hears many landlord-tenant cases. RSA 540 and 540-A are the books. A Massachusetts Housing Court process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat is the Anti-Eviction Act in New Jersey?
New Jersey’s statewide Anti-Eviction Act lists grounds for many evictions — it is not a rumor, and coverage still depends on the housing. Special Civil Part / landlord-tenant court hears the case. A New York Housing Court process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat is a summary proceeding in New York?
That is the court case to recover possession. In the five boroughs it is NYC Housing Court. Elsewhere it is often City Court or another local court named on the paper. A landlord notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid.
Open the full answerWhat is summary ejectment in North Carolina?
That is the small-claims eviction case, often in the county of the unit — Wake for Raleigh, Mecklenburg for Charlotte, Guilford for Greensboro. A notice is a step. Summary-ejectment papers are same-day legal aid. Chapter 42 is the book.
Open the full answerWhat is forcible entry in Ohio?
That is the possession case in municipal or county court. A notice is a step. Papers that name the court are a case. Legal aid the same day.
Open the full answerMagisterial district or Municipal Court?
Most Pennsylvania evictions start in a magisterial district court. Philadelphia Municipal Court is the City exception. Pittsburgh PLI is not Philadelphia L&I. The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 is the statewide floor.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Rhode Island eviction?
District Court hears many landlord-tenant cases. The Residential Landlord and Tenant Act is the book. Providence Inspections and Standards is a City door, not the court. Massachusetts Housing Court does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a South Carolina eviction?
Magistrate court hears many cases. The SCRLTA is the statewide book. Charleston Livability is not Columbia code. Confirm the county on the paper.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Tennessee eviction?
General Sessions Court in most counties. A notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Texas eviction?
Justice court. Houston is Harris County; Dallas is Dallas County; Fort Worth is Tarrant; Austin is Travis; San Antonio is Bexar. Mixing counties is the wrong stack. A landlord notice is not a judgment.
Open the full answerCan a Texas landlord lock me out?
Texas has specific statutory rules on lockouts, and they are easy to get wrong. Photograph what happened. Call legal aid the same day. 911 if you are locked out tonight and unsafe. This desk does not reprint the lockout procedure.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Vermont eviction?
Superior Court hears many landlord-tenant cases. Title 9 residential rental statutes are the book. A New Hampshire Circuit Court process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat is an unlawful detainer in Virginia?
That is the General District Court possession case. Richmond is not Virginia Beach. The VRLTA is statewide. A Maryland rent-court process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Washington eviction?
Superior Court hears unlawful detainer cases. King County for Seattle; Pierce for Tacoma; Spokane County for Spokane. A landlord notice is not a judgment. City ordinances do not replace that court.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a West Virginia eviction?
Magistrate court hears many landlord-tenant cases. W. Va. Code chapter 37, article 6 is a starting point. An Ohio or Virginia process does not apply.
Open the full answerWhat court hears a Wisconsin eviction?
Small claims. A notice is a step. Court papers are same-day legal aid.
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Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org