Eviction Answer Template: What to Write in Each Section

First, know what you received

A notice from your landlord (pay or quit, cure, or a move-out notice) is not a court case. It does not force you out by itself. The deadline that matters most starts later, when the landlord files an eviction lawsuit and you are served with a Summons and Complaint. That is the paper you answer.

How fast you must respond

Eviction cases move fast on purpose, and the deadline depends on your state. Some examples, checked against each state’s official court site:

• California: 10 court days to file your Answer if the papers were handed to you. The answer form is UD-105.
• Florida: 5 days, not counting weekends or legal holidays, to do everything the summons lists, or you may be evicted without a hearing.
• Texas justice court: most tenants do not have to file a written answer, but you must go to the hearing or risk losing.
• New York City: 10 days to answer a nonpayment petition after you receive the notice of petition.
• Pennsylvania: if you lose before the magisterial district judge, you have 10 days to appeal a judgment for possession.

• California eviction defense forms
• Florida eviction defense forms
• Texas eviction defense forms
• New York eviction defense forms
• Pennsylvania eviction defense forms

Sample eviction Answer outline

This is a general outline to show you what goes where. It is not an official court form. Many states and courts publish their own form, and if yours does, you usually must use it.

[NAME OF COURT]
[County], [State]

[Landlord name], Plaintiff
v.                        Case No. [from your papers]
[Your name], Defendant

ANSWER TO EVICTION COMPLAINT

1. RESPONSES TO THE COMPLAINT
   Paragraph 1: [Admit / Deny / I do not have
   enough information to admit or deny]
   Paragraph 2: [...]
   (one line for every numbered paragraph)

2. AFFIRMATIVE DEFENSES
   First defense: [for example, the notice was
   defective because ...]
   Second defense: [for example, the landlord
   accepted rent on (date) after the notice]

3. REQUEST
   I ask the court to rule for me, deny the
   landlord possession, and grant any other
   relief that is fair.

Dated: [date]       [Your signature]
                    [Printed name, address,
                    phone, email]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I sent a copy of this Answer to [landlord or
their attorney] at [address] by [method] on
[date].        [Your signature]

What to write in each part

Caption: copy the court name, the party names, and the case number exactly as they appear on the complaint.

Responses: go through the complaint one numbered paragraph at a time. Admit only what you know is true. Deny what is false. If you are not sure, say you do not have enough information to admit or deny, which works as a denial.

Affirmative defenses: these are legal reasons the eviction should fail even if some rent is owed. List every one that fits your facts, with a sentence on why. Defenses you leave out can be hard to raise later.

• Improper or defective notice (wrong dates, wrong amount, not properly served)
• Serious repair problems the landlord did not fix (habitability)
• Retaliation for asking for repairs or reporting a code violation
• Discrimination based on a protected class
• The landlord accepted rent after serving the notice

Steps to file

1. Find the exact deadline on your Summons and mark it.
2. Check your state court site for an official answer form.
3. Gather your lease, rent receipts, photos of conditions, and messages with the landlord.
4. Write your Answer, responding to every paragraph and listing every defense that fits.
5. File it with the court clerk before the deadline, and pay the fee or ask for a fee waiver.
6. Serve a copy on the landlord or their attorney the way your court requires, and keep proof.
7. Go to every hearing. Missing a court date can undo everything else.

Get a free review if you can

Many areas have tenant legal aid clinics and court self-help centers that review eviction papers for free. Even if you write your own Answer, a quick review can catch a deadline or defense you missed.

• Tenant rights, HUD
• Find free legal aid near you, Legal Services Corporation