Landlord tenant eviction is a term used to describe the process by which a landlord can forcefully remove a tenant. According to landlord tenant law, the statute that governs this type of lease, eviction can be performed only by means of a court administered process. There are three basic reasons that can serve as a basis for eviction: the tenant is behind on rent, called nonpayment, the lease has ended, or the tenant has breached terms of the lease. If there is a valid reason, the landlord must then issue the corresponding notice to the tenant. For the most common violation in an eviction, nonpayment of rent, the landlord should use a 3 day eviction notice. When this period has passed, the proper forms and documents should be filed with local court. As a tenant, a counter-claim can also be filed to protect yourself from a judgment.