What are the legal grounds and notice required to evict me?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
Under Section 9 of the Rent Control Act (RA 9653), a covered tenant may be judicially ejected only on specific grounds: assigning or subleasing the unit without the lessor's written consent; arrears of at least three months of rent; the lessor's own legitimate need to repossess the property for personal or immediate-family use (subject to conditions, including at least three months' formal notice and that the lessor does not own another available residential unit); the need to make necessary repairs of a condemned building; and the expiration of the lease period. These are grounds for a court case — a landlord who wants you out must still go through the proper judicial ejectment process, not self-help.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
What are the grounds for eviction?
RA 9653 §9 lists: subleasing/assignment without the lessor's written consent; arrears in rent for a total of three months; the lessor's legitimate need to repossess for own or immediate family's use (with conditions); need to make necessary repairs of a condemned unit; and expiration of the lease period.
How much notice for the 'owner needs it back' ground?
That ground carries conditions, including that the lessor does not own another available residential unit in the same city or municipality and that formal notice of at least three months is given before the intended repossession. If the lessor does not actually use it as intended, it can be challenged.
Is missing one month's rent enough to evict me?
The arrears ground under RA 9653 §9 is a total of three months of unpaid rent — not a single missed month. Still, the landlord must pursue eviction through the courts, not by force.
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Your rights as a home buyer or renter — the Maceda Law (RA 6552) refund and cash-surrender-value rules when you stop paying a house or condo on installment, the grace period before a developer can cancel, PD 957 remedies when a developer won't deliver your unit, title, or promised amenities, how to file against a developer at DHSUD / the HSAC, and the Rent Control Act (RA 9653) limits on deposits, rent increases, and eviction.