Match the cause to the notice
- Notice to Pay Rent or Quit — for nonpayment. The tenant pays within the deadline or moves out.
- Notice to Cure or Quit — for a curable lease violation (unauthorized pet, unapproved occupant). Fix it or leave.
- Unconditional Notice to Quit — for serious or repeat conduct where no second chance is offered (illegal activity, severe damage). Allowed only in the situations your state defines.
- No-cause termination — ending a month-to-month tenancy without alleging fault, using a 30- or 60-day termination notice. Note: many states and cities now require just cause, which limits this.
Notice periods vary by state — and by city
There is no national eviction-notice period. Nonpayment notices run 3 days in California, Texas, and Florida but as long as 14 days elsewhere — and even the 3-day states count the days differently (California and Florida exclude weekends and holidays; Texas counts calendar days unless the lease says otherwise). On top of state law, many cities layer rent-control and just-cause ordinances that change the rules entirely. Never assume — start from your state page below, then check your local ordinance.
Strict compliance is the whole game
Eviction is a summary proceeding, and judges enforce the technicalities. The notice generally must state the exact amount owed (in many states, rent only — no late fees or utilities), give the correct deadline, name the right parties, and be served by an approved method. A single defect — an inflated amount, a miscounted day, the wrong service method — is enough to lose. Get the notice right and the rest of the case follows; get it wrong and nothing else matters.
Serving the notice
Service rules are statutory too. The common methods are personal delivery to the tenant, substituted delivery to an adult at the home plus mailing, or posting on the door plus mailing — but which are allowed, and when each is complete, depends on your state. Keep proof of how and when you served it; that proof is part of your case.
Notice periods by state at a glance
| State | Nonpayment notice | No-cause termination |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Alaska | 7-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Arizona | 5-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Arkansas | 3-day (civil) / 10-day (criminal) | 1 month (month-to-month) |
| California | 3-day (excl. weekends/holidays) | 30 / 60-day |
| Colorado | 10-day (5-day if exempt) | For cause; 21 / 91-day no-fault |
| Connecticut | 3-day (after 9-day grace) | 3-day notice to quit |
| Delaware | 5-day | 60-day (month-to-month) |
| Florida | 3 business days | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Georgia | 3-day (leases on/after 7/1/24) | 60-day (landlord) |
| Hawaii | Changed 2/2026 (~10–15-day + mediation) | 45-day (month-to-month) |
| Idaho | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Illinois | 5-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Indiana | 10-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Iowa | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Kansas | 3-day (+2 if mailed) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Kentucky | 7-day (URLTA areas) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Louisiana | 5-day notice to vacate (waivable) | 10-day (before month-end) |
| Maine | 7-day | 30-day (no-cause) |
| Maryland | 10-day | 60-day (month-to-month) |
| Massachusetts | 14-day (notice to quit) | 30-day or one rental period |
| Michigan | 7-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Minnesota | 14-day (pre-filing, itemized) | 1 month / rent interval (≤ 3 mo) |
| Mississippi | 3-day (judicial days) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Missouri | Demand for rent (no fixed period) | 1 month (rent-paying date) |
| Montana | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Nebraska | 7-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Nevada | 7-day (judicial days) | 30 / 60-day (>1 yr) |
| New Hampshire | 7-day (+ demand for rent) | Good cause; 30-day typical |
| New Jersey | None required | Good cause only |
| New Mexico | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| New York | 14-day (+ 5-day reminder) | 30 / 60 / 90-day |
| North Carolina | 10-day (often waived by lease) | 7-day (month-to-month) |
| North Dakota | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Ohio | 3-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Oklahoma | 5-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Oregon | 10 / 13-day (ORS 90.394) | 30-day (yr 1); just cause after |
| Pennsylvania | 10-day | 15-day (≤1 yr) / 30-day (>1 yr) |
| Rhode Island | 5-day (after 15 days late) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| South Carolina | 5-day (lease may waive) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| South Dakota | 3-day | 15-day (2024 change; verify) |
| Tennessee | 14-day (URLTA counties) | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Texas | 3-day (lease may change) | 1 rental period |
| Utah | 3-day | 15-day (month-to-month) |
| Vermont | 14-day | 30 / 60 / 90-day (no-cause) |
| Virginia | 5-day | 30-day (month-to-month) |
| Washington | 14-day (statutory form) | Just cause only (20-day no-fault) |
| Washington, D.C. | $600 floor; ~30-day (2025 change—verify) | Just cause; 90/120/180-day |
| West Virginia | None required (file immediately) | 1 month (month-to-month) |
| Wisconsin | 5-day (or 14-day no-cure) | 28-day (month-to-month) |
| Wyoming | 3-day | ~30-day (no statute; lease/custom) |
Short summary only; counting rules, cure rights, and local ordinances vary — see each state page. More states being added.
Eviction notices by type and state
By type: Pay or Quit (nonpayment) · Cure or Quit (lease violation) · Unconditional Quit
By state: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · Washington, D.C. · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
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Create My Letter — $9Common questions
How many days' notice do I have to give before evicting?
It depends on your state and the reason. For nonpayment it's as little as 3 days in California, Texas, and Florida and up to 14 days in some states; lease-violation and no-cause periods differ again. Start from your state's rules and confirm any local ordinance.
Can I include late fees or utilities in the amount on the notice?
In many strict-compliance states — California and Florida among them — a pay-or-quit notice may demand rent only. Adding late fees, utilities, or other charges can void the notice and get your case dismissed. You can pursue those amounts separately.
What happens if I serve the wrong notice or miscount the days?
Usually the notice is defective, the court dismisses the case, and you start over — losing weeks of rent. That's why matching the notice type to the cause, counting the days correctly, and serving it the approved way matter so much.
WriteMyNotice.com is a self-help document preparation service, not a law firm, and this page is general information, not legal advice. Eviction rules are strict and vary by state, county, and city — many cities add rent-control or just-cause requirements on top of state law, and an improper or mistimed notice can get an eviction case delayed or dismissed. Verify the current requirements for your property's location and, for contested or high-stakes evictions, consult a landlord-tenant attorney. Statute references verified June 2026.