My landlord gave me a 120-Day Notice

Yes, if you rent the place where you live and you just got a 120-Day Notice to Terminate (end) your tenancy, also called a 120-Day Notice to Vacate.  

No, if you own the mobile home you live in, and rent the lot. Read My Landlord Just Threatened to Evict Me from my Manufactured/Mobile Home Park to learn more, and talk to a lawyer right away. Contact information is below.

• What this notice means
• What to do if you get this notice from your landlord
• Where to get legal help

It is a notice from your landlord that they want you to move out at the end of the 120 days. Here is when your landlord can give you a 120-day notice:

• Your landlord wants to substantially remodel, do structural repair, or tear down (demolish) the unit. If your landlord ends your tenancy with this type of notice, but then does not remodel, repair, or demolish the place, you may have a case for wrongful eviction.
• Your landlord wants to convert the unit into a condominium. If your landlord ends the tenancy with this type of notice, but then does not convert the place into a condo, you may have a case for wrongful eviction.
• Your landlord wants to change the type of housing you live in to another kind of housing, for example a retirement home or a hotel.

Yes. Your landlord (or their employee or another adult) can "personally serve" you at home by handing you the notice.  Your landlord can also hand it to another adult or older teenager living with you. If your landlord does this "substitute service," your landlord must also send a copy of the notice to you. 

Your landlord can also "serve" the notice by taping it on your door, but then they must also mail a copy to you.

A 120-Day Notice that is sent by text, voicemail, email, or in person is not a proper notice. It does not start the eviction process.

No. Landlords cannot force tenants to vacate without following the proper court eviction process. 

Your landlord must give a proper written "termination" notice before your landlord can start an eviction lawsuit. The 120-Day Notice we discuss here is one type of termination notice.

Your landlord can start an eviction lawsuit against you. Your landlord does this by giving you official court papers called a "Summons" and "Complaint." These papers may require you to send a response to your landlord or their lawyer.

Your landlord needs to have these documents delivered to you (by someone other than your landlord) if your landlord wants to have the case heard in court.

Your landlord must win an eviction lawsuit against you and get a judge to sign an order directing the sheriff to evict you. Only the sheriff can formally evict you or change the locks on the rental.

Maybe. If you receive this notice because your landlord plans to convert your building into condominiums, you might be able to get help with moving costs, called relocation assistance, from your landlord.  The 120-Day Notice should say relocation assistance is available to you. 

You may also be entitled to relocation assistance in other cases. Depending on what city or county you live in, your landlord and/or your local government agency must provide financial assistance to help you move. Talk to a lawyer right away to see what help is available to you. See contact information below.

It means your landlord plans to make big changes to the property.  For example, the landlord might plan to make repairs on the outside of the building, such as replacing the roof or working on the building's foundation.  Or the landlord might plan to replace the property's plumbing or electrical systems. Maybe the landlord plans to put up or take down walls, decks, or porches.

"Substantial rehabilitation" does not mean replacing broken windowpanes or a water faucet. It does not mean painting, fixing leaks, or replacing broken appliances or fixtures. Those are repairs. Read Tenants: If You Need Repairs to learn more.

You can try. If your landlord plans to substantially rehabilitate the property, your landlord must get a permit from your local building department. You can call your city or municipality to check if your landlord has applied for a permit.

You may have a case for wrongful eviction. Talk to a lawyer right away. See contact information below.

If you don't agree to what the notice claims, talk to a lawyer right away. If the landlord starts an eviction lawsuit, you will need to be able to prove your case in court  See contact information below.