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Eviction: what it means

Eviction is the legal process a landlord uses to get back a rented home when the tenant does not want to leave. The most common reasons are unpaid rent, serious lease violations or a lease that has ended.

In Spanish it is

Desalojo (eviction)

Also written as: eviction lawsuit · eviction case

A man smiles on a bench outside his apartment building.

Verified on October 17, 2026

2 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

First the landlord must give you written notice. If it is not resolved, the landlord needs a court order, and a law enforcement officer must carry out the removal. If you are sued, you have the right to file a written answer explaining to the court why you should not be evicted. The rules change by state and city.

An example

Carmen receives an eviction lawsuit for back rent. Instead of ignoring it, she calls the court to ask how long she has to respond and looks for free legal aid. Meanwhile, she applies for rental assistance.

You will see it in…

The summons and complaint delivered to you from the court
Your tenant screening report, if there was an eviction case
Our eviction timeline by state tool

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “eviction”

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. Legal Information Institute (Cornell Law School) · Eviction (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. CFPB · What to do if you're facing eviction (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026