If a tenant breaks the terms of their lease, the landlord must first prepare a notice to quit to inform them of their violation.

• 7-Day Notice to Pay or Quit (for unpaid rent)
• 7-Day Notice to Comply or Quit (lease violations)
• 7-Day Notice to Quit for Illegal Activity
• 30-Day Notice to Terminate Lease

The completed form can then be served on the tenant in person, by certified mail, or by posting it on the door. The landlord must give the tenant time to move out or cure the violation (unless the tenant committed an illegal act) before taking further legal action.

If the tenant doesn’t remedy the situation or vacate, the landlord can file a Statement of Claim – Eviction/Unlawful Detainer (Form C-59) with their local Judicial Circuit Court.

The tenant must be served a copy of the statement after it’s been filed. They will then have seven days to file an Answer to Landlord’s Claim (Form PS-01). Failure to answer can result in a default judgment against them. If they file their answer, the clerk will notify both parties of the court date.

On the day of the hearing, a judge will hear arguments from both the landlord and tenant before making their decision. If the landlord wins, the judge will give the tenant a date by which they must move out. The tenant will have seven days to appeal the decision.

If the tenant doesn’t appeal or move out before the date set by the court, the landlord must obtain a Writ of Possession to have the tenant forcibly removed by the sheriff’s office.