“The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) launched the LSC Eviction Laws Database today, a new online tool that will aid users in better understanding the significant variation in eviction laws across the country and the effect these differences have on eviction outcomes. LSC produced the database in partnership with the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law.  Users can examine the entire eviction legal process, from pre-filing to post-judgment, in different communities around the country. The database has provided early insights on the eviction process, including:

• Only four states and Washington, D.C., have “just cause” statutes requiring landlords to disclose a clearly defined reason for removing a tenant from a rental property. In the vast majority of states, landlords are able to evict the tenant at-will.
• Only six states —­ Arizona, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon, Texas and Washington — require that eviction summonses include information on how tenants can access legal aid services.
• The majority of states/territories require that tenants pay a bond in order to appeal an eviction judgment. Those unable to pay cannot appeal.
• Court fees that landlords must pay to file an eviction vary widely across the country, from as little as $15 in Maryland to as much as $295 in Vermont…”