Specific laws on eviction may vary depending on the state or local jurisdiction in which the eviction occurs. General laws require a landlord to give notice to a tenant in the form of an official eviction notice or eviction letter. The notice should state the reason for the eviction and give a specified amount of time for the tenant to either leave or resolve the matter with the landlord. The time period specified in an eviction notice depends on the local laws on eviction; usually it will be a three, five, or thirty day notice. After the amount of time stated in the notice, a landlord may then file an eviction complaint with a court to have a tenant legally evicted. Laws on eviction state that court action is the only way a tenant can be legally evicted from a property. A landlord may not change the locks or otherwise attempt to force a tenant out of a property.