If you're answering
Your landlord sent a lease violation notice
It might be about noise, a pet, a guest, parking, late rent, or something you have never heard of. Whatever it says, the notice itself usually states what you need to do and by when. Read that first. If anything in it is unclear, or it mentions ending your tenancy, that is the moment to talk to a lawyer or a local tenant organization. Everything below is about putting your side in order.
Free to build. $59 once, for this case, if you want to download the finished file.
Last updated Oct 10, 2026
Written by Dave Shelton, founder of BuildMyEvidence. Thirty years in business taught him that the person with a clear record gets taken seriously.
Split the notice into points
Copy out each thing the notice says you did, in its own words. Under each one, write:
- Whether you agree it happened.
- What actually happened, if it's different.
- The date or dates involved.
- What you have that bears on it.
Then find the clause in your lease that the notice refers to, if it names one, and copy that wording out too. Notices sometimes describe a clause more broadly than it actually reads.
Gather what you already have
- Your lease, any renewals, and any addendums, including pet or parking addendums.
- Rent receipts or bank records, if money is involved.
- Any messages with the landlord or property manager about the issue, before or after the notice.
- Anything that shows you asked for permission, or were given it.
- Dated photos, if the notice is about the condition of the unit or something visible.
Reply in writing
Even if you agree you did it, a short written reply is worth sending. It shows you received the notice, it puts your account on file next to theirs, and it says what you have done about it.
Keep it short and calm:
- That you received the notice, and when.
- Which points you accept, and what you have done about them.
- Which points you don't accept, and briefly why.
- That you would like any further communication in writing.
Keep a copy exactly as sent, and note how and when you sent it. How to answer with the record
If more notices follow
A second or third notice is where a record matters most, because by then the landlord is describing a pattern. Keep every notice. For each one, note the date it arrived, what it said, and what you did. If the same issue is raised again after you fixed it, write down the date you fixed it and how.
What to leave alone
- Don't ignore it. Silence after a notice is easily read as agreement.
- Don't argue in the hallway. If you speak to the landlord or manager, follow it up with a short written message.
- Don't hold back rent because of the notice without getting advice first. It can turn a dispute about one thing into a dispute about two.
- Don't fix something quietly. Take a dated photo of the fix and say in writing that it's done.
What your side looks like when it is in order
BuildMyEvidence is a place to put it. You write down what happened, as it happens, and attach what you already have. Everything gets a date and a number.
For something like this, that gives you:
- Each point in the notice, listed separately, with what bears on it underneath.
- One chronology of every notice, every reply, and what was done.
- Every document dated and numbered, so your reply can point straight to it.
- Your own statement, in your words, numbered, with a page at the end to sign by hand.
You can read every page in full before you pay. The screen copy carries preview marks across it. The file you download is clean, and it is $59 once, for this case. What the $59 covers
It is a record, not a lawyer, and it does not tell you whether you will win. It makes sure that in three months, when somebody asks what happened, you are not relying on what you remember about a notice that arrived a year ago.
Read one that is already written
Two of our four worked examples are written from this side — somebody answering something they did not start. You can open them and read every page, free.
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Questions people ask
- Can they evict me over this?
- We cannot answer that and we are not going to guess. It depends on your lease, where you live, and what the notice is about. If the notice mentions ending your tenancy, get advice quickly.
- I think this is payback for a repair request.
- Then put the dates side by side: when you asked for the repair, and when the notice arrived. That sequence is worth writing down whatever happens next. Repairs your landlord won’t make
- Do I have to sign anything?
- We are not going to tell you what to sign. If you are asked to sign something, ask for a copy first and take your time reading it.
- Is what I write here private?
- Yes. It is your account, and nothing leaves it unless you send it. Privacy
Free to build · $59 once if you download it