For what reasons can a tenant be evicted?
A landlord can seek to evict a tenant from a rental unit for non-payment of rent, failing to move out at the end of the lease term or for breaching any of the lease terms (such as exceeding the number of occupants allowed for the unit). In addition, the States Attorney, County Attorney or community associations may bring eviction actions against tenants involved in illegal drug activities. A landlord cannot evict a tenant (or increase the rent or fail to provide services) in retaliation for: organizing or joining a tenants organization; filing a written complaint with the landlord, the housing inspectors office or other agency; filing a lawsuit against the landlord; or notifying the landlord that there are lead hazards in the property or that there is a child with an elevated blood lead level in the property. To stop a retaliatory eviction, however, the tenant must prove that retaliation was the only reason for the landlords actions.
