How to Serve a 3 Day Eviction Notice

When tenants do not pay their rent, a landlord can choose to either work out a payment plan with the tenant or decide to evict. When a landlord makes the decision to evict, there are specific steps he or she must take in order to properly and legally evict a tenant. Taking the proper steps in the eviction process saves landlords time and money by preventing them from having to pay the costs of eviction repeatedly. The process of eviction begins when the landlord serves a three-day eviction notice to the tenant.

Things You'll Need

• Completed three-day eviction notice
• Copy of tenant's lease
• Certified mail slip

Instructions

1. Understand how a three-day eviction notice works. This notice gives the tenant time to correct the lease violation. If the lease violations are corrected, the tenant stays and the lease continues on as originally planned. If the tenant doesn't make the corrections, the tenant must vacate the property at the end of the three-day period.

2. Know when you can file a three-day eviction notice. The following reasons are acceptable to file a three-day eviction notice: non-payment of rent, tenant using the property for illegal purposes, gross interference with other tenants, damaging the property, or violating specific terms of the lease.

3. Serve the notice. You can do this yourself by going to the residence and handing the three-day eviction notice to the tenant. You can also serve the eviction notice through your local sheriff's office or police department by requesting that an officer officially serve your tenant. There is a fee for this service.
   A third option is to send it certified mail. Certified mail slips are available at any post office.

Tips & Warnings

• Always check return receipt requested when serving by certified mail.

• Always make sure that all the names of the tenants on the lease are on the eviction notice. If all the tenants aren't listed, it voids the notice.

• Never serve a three-day eviction notice yourself if you feel the tenant will become irate and possibly violent.

References

• Housing.org: 3-Day Notice
• Real Estate Law: Tenant Eviction: Notice and Process
• Rent Law: Eviction Defined