> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vaquill.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Respond to an Eviction
> Tenant-side Answer to an unlawful detainer with the right affirmative defenses, your filing deadline, and a proof-of-service template
This workflow surfaces in **QuillDraft**, the landlord-tenant product. It is filtered out of the Vaquill in-house gallery.
**Best for:** a tenant who was just served eviction papers and has days to file an Answer. The form, the defenses, and the deadline in one place.
Builds your Answer with the right affirmative defenses, tells you your filing deadline, and gives you a proof-of-service template. These are the steps tenants most often miss before a default judgment is entered.
| | |
| -------------- | ------------------------------- |
| Category | Litigation |
| Jurisdiction | US |
| Practice areas | Landlord-tenant, tenant defense |
| Runtime | 6-15 minutes |
## What you need
| Slot | Required | Count | What goes in it |
| --------------------------------------- | -------- | ----- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **The eviction papers you were served** | No | 0-50 | The summons, complaint, and the notice you received. With these, the Answer responds to the specific allegations, and the drafter uses only the facts in the documents. |
## Inputs
### The case
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
| ----------------------------------------- | ---------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **State where you rent** | Select | **Yes** | Drives your answer deadline, the available defenses, and the form. |
| **Date you were served** | Date | **Yes** | Your deadline counts from this date in most states. |
| Response deadline printed on your summons | Date | No | **If your summons states a response date, enter it. That date controls and is used instead of the estimate.** |
| **Your name** | Party name | **Yes** | Tenant / defendant. |
| **Rental unit address** | Long text | **Yes** | |
| **Landlord's name** | Party name | **Yes** | Plaintiff. |
| Court name | Text | No | From your summons. |
| Case number | Text | No | From your summons. |
| **Why is the landlord evicting you?** | Select | **Yes** | Nonpayment of rent · lease violation · no-fault · other. Drives which defenses and notice-defect arguments apply. |
| Amount the landlord says you owe | Text | No | |
### Defenses
| Field | Type | Required | Notes |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------ | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Which of these apply to you? | Multi-select | No | Each selection is pleaded as an affirmative defense. **A defense you do not raise in your Answer is usually waived at trial, so select everything that might apply.** |
| The facts behind what you selected | Long text | No | **Only the facts you provide are used.** The drafter will not invent any. |
| Is your unit subsidized (Section 8 / public housing)? | Yes/No | No | Subsidized housing has extra notice and termination rules the landlord must follow. |
| Are you a survivor of domestic violence? | Yes/No | No | VAWA and many state laws bar eviction based on being a DV survivor. |
| Are you or a household member active-duty military? | Yes/No | No | The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act can pause an eviction. |
## How it runs
A drafting pipeline: `prepare → generate → export`. The state and eviction reason select the form and the available defenses, the drafter responds to the served allegations using only your facts, and all three documents are exported.
## What you get
| Artifact | Format | Contents |
| --------------------------------- | ------ | -------------------------------------------------- |
| **Answer to Unlawful Detainer** | DOCX | The Answer with your affirmative defenses pleaded. |
| **Deadline and Filing Checklist** | DOCX | Your deadline and the filing steps. |
| **Proof of Service template** | DOCX | The service document tenants most often forget. |
## What this will not do
* File the Answer with the court or serve it on the landlord for you.
* Guarantee a defense will succeed or that you will keep possession.
* Confirm your exact deadline. **The date on your served summons controls.** Verify it.
* Replace a lawyer or a legal-aid / Right-to-Counsel attorney. Seek one if you can.
## Related
The landlord side of the same case.
For after you move out.