Frequently asked questions
What the service does, what you need to provide, and what it costs.
What can I do today?
Evictions API is a sandbox beta, in test mode only. Available today: sign-up for a free sandbox account, the online case form, the REST API and a sandbox with a fictional test state, where a built-in sandbox reviewer reviews cases automatically, you can step them through to close and receive webhooks. Not available yet: serving notices or filing in court for a real case, in any state, live mode, which would accept real cases and online checkout. A state opens when its rules have been reviewed by a licensed attorney in that state and a partner attorney is confirmed. Until then, requests for that state are recorded and nothing is served or filed.
Is Evictions API a law firm?
No. Evictions API is a software platform operated by Future Cities LLC. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. The service is designed so that every notice and every court filing is reviewed and approved by an independent attorney licensed in the state where the property is, and that attorney is responsible for the legal work.
Who will file the case in court?
The partner attorney assigned to the case is the filer of record. Two filing paths are planned, and neither is available yet: the attorney filing through their own court account and recording the result on the case, or, where a court e-filing connection exists, the packet being filed electronically under the attorney’s account. Either way, nothing is filed until the attorney has approved the exact documents being sent.
Which states do you cover?
All 50 states and DC can be requested. A state opens when its rules have been reviewed by a licensed attorney in that state and a partner attorney is confirmed. Until then, requests for that state are recorded and nothing is served or filed. No state is open yet. The coverage page shows the status of each state.
How long does an eviction take?
It depends on the state, the notice period its rules require, how quickly the tenant can be served, and the court’s calendar. We do not promise a timeline. Each case shows its status and the deadlines that apply to it.
What happens if the tenant pays or fixes the problem?
You can report a payment or a cure through the API at any time before judgment. If it happens during a cure period that the state’s rules provide, the case closes as resolved. At any other point, the attorney decides what happens next. You can also withdraw a case at any time before it closes.
What do I need to provide?
The property address and the owner of record; the names of the parties; the lease terms; for nonpayment, a rent ledger whose charges and payments add up to the amount you claim; for a lease violation, what happened and when; and a document showing your authority over the property, such as a deed or a management agreement. You also confirm that the case is not retaliatory or discriminatory and answer questions about servicemember status and federally covered or subsidized housing. If you already served a notice, you upload it with the proof of service. For a given state and ground, the API returns the facts required, and the validation step reports which checks failed and why.
How do the checks protect tenants?
A case cannot be submitted until it passes the intake checks: proof of authority over the property, the facts the state’s rules require, the notice period, and federal and local protections where they apply. Then a licensed attorney reviews the documents before anything is served or filed. The checks are designed to catch cases that should not go forward before anyone is served. They rely on what the person submitting the case provides and attests to, plus the attorney’s review, and cannot catch everything.
How is my data protected?
Case data, including the tenant information you supply, and uploaded documents are encrypted at rest. API keys and account passwords are stored only as hashes. Tenant personal data is not written to application logs, and every change to a case is recorded in an append-only audit log. Each organization can see only its own cases. Webhook messages carry identifiers and status only, never names or addresses.
Is there an API?
Yes. The REST API lets you create a case, upload documents, run the intake checks, submit, and read the status, deadlines and history of every case. You can also manage API keys and webhook endpoints through it. The online case form in the app uses the same API. POST requests accept an Idempotency-Key header: a request retried with the same key does not create a duplicate. The API is described by a public OpenAPI document.
How do webhooks work?
You register an HTTPS endpoint and receive a message each time a case changes state. Each message is signed with HMAC-SHA256 using a secret that is shown to you once, so you can verify it came from us. Failed deliveries are retried with increasing delays. You can list and delete endpoints in the app or through the API.
Can I test before sending a real case?
Yes, and anyone can: sign up for a free sandbox account. In the app or with a test key you can create, validate and submit cases against the sandbox, which uses a fictional state, and receive webhooks. A built-in sandbox reviewer reviews each submitted test case automatically, and an “Advance sandbox case” button (or POST /v1/cases/{id}/advance) steps it through to close. Test cases never reach a real court, process server or tenant.
Do I need to ask for access?
No. Anyone can sign up for the sandbox at no cost, with an email address, a name and an organization name, and start in test mode right away. There is no live mode: no real case can be submitted yet, and nothing can be bought online. If you need a state that is not open yet, you can ask for it on the contact page and we record the request.
Can an AI agent use it?
Yes. An agent working for your organization can use the same REST API with your API key, and it can read the public OpenAPI document to learn the endpoints. The agent gets no shortcuts: the same intake checks and the same attorney review apply to every case.
How much will it cost?
These are the fees that will apply when a state opens. The platform fee will be $29 for a case that starts at the notice. If the case goes to court, the platform fee will be $99 in total: the $29 notice fee will be credited, so you will pay $70 more. The platform fee for a case that starts at filing will be $99. The attorney’s fee will be set by the attorney and paid to the attorney. Court filing fees and service costs will be passed through at cost. Online checkout is in development; before any case starts, you receive the itemized cost. There is no subscription.
How is the attorney paid?
The attorney will set a flat fee. The design is that you pay it directly to the attorney and see it before you pay; online payment is in development. We do not take a share of the attorney’s fee; our platform fee is separate.
Can I start if I already served a notice?
Yes. Choose the “notice already served” starting point and upload the notice and proof of service. The notice is checked against the state’s notice rules and reviewed by the attorney. If there is a defect, you can restart at the notice stage instead of filing on a notice that may not hold up.
Have a question that is not here?
Sign up for the sandbox, or write to us on the contact page. We will reply by email.