Recently on the Tenant File Blog, we talked about signs that you should consider finding a new tenant (check it out here). Once you decide that you want your tenant out, how do you go about the eviction process?

Now, eviction laws and the eviction process vary from state to state, so for the sake of all of our readers, we’re going to make this a fairly basic outline of the process.

1. First comes the eviction notice. The eviction notice is the written notice where the tenant is asked to vacate the premises. This notice usually includes the reason for the eviction, the amount of time the tenant has to leave, the date and your signature, and any conditions that may affect the eviction.

2. If you’ve already given your tenant an eviction notice and they’ve failed to leave by the specified date, it’s time to move on to the next step: filing a lawsuit. Once your tenant is served, you’re both responsible for showing up to trial; for the most part, this ends with the judge giving your soon to be ex tenant a date by which they have to leave the property.

3. If after all of that your tenant still hasn’t left, you have the right to have them removed from the property. You can ask someone from your local sheriff’s office to escort them out of their property and place their possessions outside.

These steps are just the general process for eviction, make sure you check out what your state requires before you take the plunge.