Eviction Notice for Illegal Activity

An eviction notice form for illegal activity is a form that landlords give to their tenants explaining that the tenant will be evicted for their involvement in some type of illegal activity.

Not all states require a written notice for tenants being evicted due to illegal activity, and the remaining states vary in the amount of time they require for the notice period. Most states don’t allow a tenant to avoid eviction in this situation, although some states will halt an eviction if the tenant can prove they were unaware that their guests or other occupants were involved in illegal activity.

Evictions for Illegal Activity by State

The chart below indicates the various types of illegal activities each state would consider as a valid reason to terminate the lease/rental agreement, as well as the amount of notice required before the eviction process can proceed.

State Illegal Activity Includes: Required Notice Period
Alabama 1)    Illegal drug activity

2)    Criminal assault

3)    Illegal firearm activity

7 days
Alaska 1)    Prostitution

2)    Illegal activity involving alcoholic beverages

3)    Illegal activity involving gambling

4)    Illegal drug activity

5)    Illegal activity involving imitation controlled substances

24 hours to 5 days
Arizona 1)    Illegal discharge of weapon

2)    Homicide

3)    Prostitution

4)    Criminal street gang activity

5)    Illegal drug activity

6)    Threatening/intimidating others

7)    Assault

8)    Activity that jeopardizes health/safety/ welfare of landlord/landlord’s agent/ other tenants

Tenant must move out immediately
Arkansas 1)    Criminal offenses

2)    Illegal gambling

3)    Prostitution

4)    Illegal sale of alcohol

No notice required
California 1)    Criminal threats/activity

2)    Illegal drug activity

3)    Illegal firearm activity

4)    Dogfighting

5)    Unlawful business activity

3 days
Colorado 1)    Violent felony

2)    Drug-related felony

3)    Criminal act that carries 180-day (or more) penalty AND is a public nuisance under state/local law

3 days
Connecticut* 1)    Illegal gaming activity

2)    Prostitution

3)    Illegal sale of drugs on premises

4)    Threat of bodily harm/actual bodily harm to tenants/landlord

None/3 days
Delaware Conviction of class A misdemeanor or felony which causes/threatens to cause irreparable harm to person/property No notice required
Florida Not defined 7 days
Georgia 1)    Prostitution

2)    Other criminal acts

Not specified
Hawaii* Use of rental unit for illegal purpose/nuisance None/5/10 days
Idaho Unlawful delivery/production/use of a controlled substance on the rental premises 3 days
Illinois All Class X felonies:

1)    Aggravated kidnapping

2)    Aggravated battery with a firearm

3)    Aggravated battery of a child

4)    Home invasion

5)    Aggravated criminal sexual assault

6)    Predatory criminal sexual assault of a child

7)    Armed robbery

8)    Aggravated vehicular hijacking

9)    Aggravated arson

10)  Possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver

5 days
Indiana* 1)    Illegal drug activity

2)    Prostitution

3)    Waste

None/45 days

 

Iowa 1)    Physical assault

2)    Illegal use/possession of firearm

3)    Illegal possession of controlled substance

3 days
Kansas Not defined 30 days
Kentucky Not defined Varies by location
Louisiana Not defined 5 days
Maine Verbal leases:

1)    Domestic violence

2)    Stalking

3)    Sexual assault

4)    Violence/threat of violence against tenant/landlord/landlord’s agent

5)    Other violation of the law

All leases:

Prostitution

7 days (at-will tenants)

Otherwise, notice period written in lease

Maryland Not defined 30 days (at-will tenants)

 

Otherwise, notice period written in lease

Massachusetts 1)    Prostitution

2)    Illegal gaming

3)    Illegal keeping or sale of alcohol

4)    Illegal possession/sale/manufacture of controlled substances

5)    Illegal possession of weapon or explosive/incendiary device

7 days (day-to-day/week-to-week tenants)

Not specified (all other tenants)

Michigan 1) Illegal drug activity AND formal police report filed

2) Threat of physical harm while on rental property

24 hours (illegal drug activity)

7 days

Minnesota 1)    Prostitution

2)    Illegal possession/sale/distribution/ manufacture of controlled substances

3)    Unlawful use/possession of firearm

4)    Storage of stolen property on the rental premises

Specified in written lease
Mississippi* Illegal activity (as documented by a law enforcement agency) None/14 days
Missouri* 1)    Illegal gaming

2)    Prostitution

3)    Illegal possession/sale/distribution of a controlled substance

4)    Physical injury to other tenants/landlord

5)    Property damage exceeding 12 months’ rent

None/5/10 days
Montana 1)    Criminal production/manufacture of dangerous drugs

2)    Operation of unlawful clandestine laboratory

3)    Gang-related activities

4)    Unlawful possession of firearm, explosive, or hazardous toxic substance

5)    Any other illegal activity

3 days
Nebraska 1)    Other criminal activity harming people/ property

2)    Illegal sale/possession of a controlled substance

3)    Physical assault/threat of physical assault

4)    Illegal use of/threat to use a firearm/weapon

5 days
Nevada 1)    Illegal possession/use/distribution/ manufacture of a controlled substance

2)    Setting up unlawful business

3)    Criminal gang activity

3 days
New Hampshire Not defined 7 days
New Jersey 1)    Use/possession/manufacture/distribution/ dispensing of a controlled dangerous substance or “analog”

2)    Use/possession/manufacture/distribution/  dispensing of drug paraphernalia

3)    Human trafficking

4)    Theft from landlord/tenants/rental property

5)    Assault/threat against landlord/landlord’s family/agents

6)    Prostitution

3 days
New Mexico 1)    Illegal use/possession/sale/ distribution/manufacture of controlled substances

2)    Unlawful use of a deadly weapon

3)    Sexual assault

4)    Unlawful action that causes serious harm

5)    Entry with intent to commit theft/assault

6)    Theft/attempted theft using force

7)    Intentional/reckless property damage of $1,000 or more

3 days
New York 1)    Prostitution

2)    Illegal trade/business/manufacture

No written notice required
North Carolina 1)    Illegal use/possession/sale/manufacture of controlled substances

2)    Criminal activity that affects health/safety/peaceful enjoyment of other tenants

No written notice required
North Dakota Not defined 3 days
Ohio 1)    Illegal drug activity

2)    Registered sex offenders living within 1,000 feet of a school, preschool, or childcare center.

3 days
Oklahoma 1)    Drug-related criminal activity

2)    Criminal activity that affects health/safety/peaceful enjoyment of other tenants

No written notice required
Oregon 1)    Prostitution

2)    Burglary

3)    Bias crimes

4)    Illegal manufacture/delivery/ possession of a controlled substance

5)    Manufacture of a cannabinoid extract without a license

6)    Inflicting “substantial” injury on people/ property

24 hours
Pennsylvania 1)    1st conviction for Illegal sale/manufacture/distribution of controlled substance

2)    2nd violation of Controlled Substances Act of 1972

3)    If illegal drugs are seized by law enforcement

10 days
Rhode Island 1)    Murder

2)    Arson

3)    Rape

4)    Manslaughter

5)    Sexual assault

6)    Kidnapping

7)    Felony assault

8)    Assault with dangerous weapon

9)    Mayhem

10) Manufacture/sale/delivery of controlled substance

11) Maintaining rental unit as narcotics nuisance

No written notice required
South Carolina Not defined No written notice required
South Dakota Not defined Not specified
Tennessee 1)    Endangers the health/safety/welfare of others

2)    Violent acts

3 days
Texas Criminal acts 3 days
Utah 1)    Illegal business

2)    Criminal acts

3)    Gambling

4)    Illegal street gang activity

5)    Prostitution

6)    Illegal weapons violations

7)    Illegal sale/manufacture/distribution/ storage of a controlled substance

8)    Nuisances

9)    Property damage

10) Violence against others

3 days
Vermont 1)    Criminal activity

2)    Illegal drug activity

3)    Violent acts affecting health/safety of residents in the rental unit

14 days
Virginia 1)    Criminal activity

2)    Illegal drug activity

3)    Violent acts affecting health/safety of residents in the rental unit

No written notice required
Washington* 1)    Illegal drug activity

2)    Physical assault that results in an arrest

3)    Unlawful use of firearm or deadly weapon that results in an arrest

4)    Gang-related activity

5)    Waste

6)    Nuisance

7)    Unlawful business

8)    Other criminal activity

None/3 days
West Virginia Not defined No written notice required
Wisconsin 1)    Criminal activity

2)    Illegal drug activity

3)    Violent acts affecting health/safety of residents in the rental unit OR the surrounding neighborhood

5 days
Wyoming Not defined 3 days
Washington, D.C. Any illegal act performed within the rental unit. 30 days

Washington
Illegal drug activity, physical assault resulting in arrest, or unlawful use of a firearm resulting in arrest—no notice

All other criminal activity—3 days’ notice

Missouri
Physical assault/property damage—no notice

Illegal drug activity where perpetrator is not the tenant—5 days’ notice

All other criminal activity—10 days’ notice

Mississippi
Illegal activity that materially affects health/safety—no notice

All other criminal activity—14 days’ notice

Indiana
Illegal drug activity–45 days’ notice

All other criminal activity—no notice

Hawaii
Illegal activity that causes immediate danger—no notice

All other criminal activity—10 days’ notice

Connecticut
Convictions for illegal gaming or prostitution—no notice

All other instances—15 days’ notice

Illegal Activity Not Defined

Some states don’t define what they consider to be illegal activity at the state level.

This could be because:

  • Illegal activity isn’t addressed in the state landlord/tenant laws
  • Illegal activity is addressed as a breach/violation of the rental agreement
  • Illegal activity isn’t a reason for eviction at the state level
  • Cities/counties use their local definitions of illegal activity for evictions