If you have an assured tenancy, your landlord has to follow a number of steps before they can evict you.

The full process is:

• your landlord will send you a 'notice to quit'
• your landlord will send you a 'notice of proceedings'
• you will be sent a letter telling you when your case will be heard in the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland Housing and Property Chamber (the Tribunal)
• your case will be heard by the Tribunal
• if the Tribunal agrees to your landlord's request to evict you and you still don't move out, sheriff officers will be sent to the property to remove you

Notice to quit

A notice to quit is written notice that your landlord wants to end your tenancy and wants you to move out of the home.

You don't have to leave the home if you get a notice to quit – your landlord will have to get an order from the court before you might have to leave.

A notice to quit is only valid if it:

• is in writing
• tells you how long your notice is
• ties in with the 'ish date' (the date your tenancy agreement ends)
• makes it clear that even when the notice runs out the landlord still has to get an order from the Tribunal before you have to leave
• tells you that you can get independent advice, and tells you where you can get it

Notice of proceedings

As well as the notice to quit, your landlord also has to send you a notice of proceedings. This can be sent at the same time as the notice to quit, or later on.

A notice of proceedings is written notice that your landlord is going to start legal proceedings to get their home back.

This should come on a special form called an AT6.

It'll tell you:

• the reasons (or grounds) why the landlord wants the home back
• how these reasons apply to you
• how much notice they have to give before they can contact the Tribunal and ask to have you evicted.

Once the notice period runs out your landlord has up to six months to contact the Tribunal and start the eviction process. If they don't do it with six months they have to start again by sending you the notices.

The Tribunal

Before you can be evicted, your case has to be heard by the Tribunal.

When your notice period runs out, your landlord will go to the Tribunal and ask for eviction proceedings to start.

You will then be sent a letter from the Tribunal telling you when your case will be heard and asking you to go to the Tribunal to give your side of the story.

If you get a summons, it's a good idea to get advice before you go to the Tribunal. Shelter Scotland's free housing helpline on 0808 800 4444 or your local Citizen's Advice centre will be able to help.