Notices and eviction
Pay or quit notice periods by state
The rule in every state and DC, with the statute and how well each answer is verified. Click a state for its full page.
Before filing an eviction for unpaid rent, most states require a written notice that gives the tenant a set number of days to pay or move out. The notice period, the required wording and the allowed delivery methods are set by statute.
What to check in your state
- The number of days, and whether weekends and holidays count.
- Required content, such as the amount owed and where to pay.
- Allowed delivery methods and how to prove service.
Common mistakes
- Including late fees in the amount demanded where the state does not allow it.
- For covered federally backed properties, using a short notice when the CARES Act 30-day notice applies.
What federal law adds
Related: Eviction Notice Rules by State 2026: What to Serve Before Filing · Rent delinquency workflow
| State | Rule | Details | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 business days' written notice to pay, or the lease ends. | The notice must state the rent and any late fees owed. If the tenant pays in full within 7 business days after receiving it, the lease continues. If both nonpayment and another breach exist, the nonpayment notice rules govern. | Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(b) Checked against the official source |
| Alaska | 7 days' written notice to pay in full. | If rent is not paid in full within 7 days after the notice, the tenancy ends unless the landlord agrees to let the tenant stay. The notice must meet the notice to quit rules in AS 09.45.100 to 09.45.105. | AS 34.03.220(b) Checked against the official source |
| Arizona | 5 days' written notice to pay or the landlord may file. | Before filing, the tenant can reinstate by paying all past due rent and a reasonable late fee from the written lease. After filing, the tenant must also pay attorney fees and court costs. After judgment, reinstatement is up to the landlord. | A.R.S. § 33-1368(B) Checked against the official source |
| Arkansas | Rent unpaid 5 days after due allows termination. Then a 3-day written notice to quit. | Under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act, the landlord may terminate if rent is not paid within 5 days of the due date. The civil unlawful detainer statute then requires a 3-day written notice to quit and demand for possession before filing. | Ark. Code Ann. §§ 18-17-701, 18-60-304 Secondary source |
| California | 3-day notice to pay or quit, not counting weekends and court holidays. | The notice must state the exact rent due and the name, phone number, and address of the person to pay, plus days and hours if paying in person. Do not include late fees or other charges. | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2) Checked against the official source |
| Colorado | 10 days' written demand for rent or possession. | Exempt residential agreements may use 5 days. Since May 22, 2025, if late rent is tied to domestic violence, unlawful sexual behavior or stalking against the tenant, the landlord must offer a repayment plan of up to 9 months before pursuing eviction. | C.R.S. § 13-40-104(1)(d); C.R.S. § 13-40-104(4)(e) (HB25-1168) Checked against the official source |
| Connecticut | After the 9-day grace period, serve a notice to quit with at least 3 full days. | The notice to quit must be served by a state marshal or other proper officer (P.A. 25-78). Attach the Judicial Branch right to counsel notice. Use the official form language and state the reason. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a, 47a-23 Checked against the official source |
| Delaware | 7-day written notice to pay before filing (5 days before September 1, 2026). | The notice can only go out after the late fee grace period has passed; counsel for the Delaware Apartment Association advises not mailing it before the 8th when rent is due on the 1st. If the tenant or anyone on the tenant's behalf pays all rent due before you file, you cannot file. If they pay after you file, you cannot continue the case for nonpayment. Include the Right to Representation information sheet with the notice (§ 5606). | 25 Del. C. § 5502; § 5606; 85 Del. Laws c. 436 Checked against the official source |
| District of Columbia | 10-day written notice before filing, and only if the tenant owes $600 or more. | The notice must state the total owed, attach a rent ledger, tell the tenant they can stay by paying the full balance, and list legal help contacts. Deliver it by certified mail with tracking and by hand delivery or posting on the door. The codified model notice wording still mentions 30 days, so follow the statutory text closely. Federally backed or subsidized properties may still need a 30-day notice under federal rules. | D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) Checked against the official source |
| Florida | 3-day notice to pay or vacate, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. | Use the statutory form and state the exact rent owed and the address including county. If you accept partial rent after the notice, give a receipt with the new balance and due date, deposit the partial rent in the court registry, or serve a new 3-day notice. | Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3), (5) Checked against the official source |
| Georgia | Written notice to vacate or pay all past-due amounts within 3 business days before filing. | The notice can cover rent, late fees, utilities, and other charges owed. Post it in a sealed envelope on the door and also deliver it by any other method the rental agreement provides. After filing, a tenant can stop a nonpayment case by paying all rent claimed plus the cost of the warrant within 7 days of service, but you must accept that only once in any 12-month period. | O.C.G.A. §§ 44-7-50(c)-(d), 44-7-52(a) Checked against the official source |
| Hawaii | 10 calendar days' written notice to pay, also sent to a state-funded mediation center. | Since February 5, 2026, the notice must include landlord and tenant contact details, the rent due, and a bold mediation warning; the Judiciary offers a form. If mediation is scheduled within the 10 days, you must take part and cannot file until 20 calendar days after the tenant received the notice, unless the tenant skips or cancels. Posted notice counts as received on posting; mailed notice two business days after the postmark. The mediation rules end February 4, 2028, but the 10-day period stays. | HRS § 521-68 (as amended by Act 278, SLH 2025) Checked against the official source |
| Idaho | 3-day written notice to pay or give up possession. | The notice must state the amount due and tell a residential tenant they will have 72 hours to remove belongings after any judgment. To recover attorney fees, it must also say fees go to the prevailing party. Serve it in person, or if the tenant is away, leave it with a suitable person and mail a copy, or post it, give it to an occupant, and mail it. | Idaho Code §§ 6-303(2), 6-304, 6-324 Checked against the official source |
| Illinois | Written demand giving at least 5 days after service to pay in full. | If the tenant does not pay in full within the notice period, you may end the lease and file an eviction case without more notice. To keep partial payments from waiving the notice, it must state in prominent text that only FULL PAYMENT of the rent demanded will waive your right to terminate, unless you agree in writing to accept partial payment. Evanston requires 10 days, federally assisted housing may require 30, and Chicago, Evanston, and suburban Cook County give tenants a one-time right to pay and stay. | 735 ILCS 5/9-209 Checked against the official source |
| Indiana | 10 days' notice to pay or move out. | Unless the lease says otherwise, you may end the lease with at least 10 days' notice when rent is unpaid. Full payment before the notice expires cures it. Serve the tenant in person, or a resident at the unit (explaining the notice), or post it on a conspicuous part of the premises if no one is found. | IC 32-31-1-6; IC 32-31-1-7; IC 32-31-1-9 Checked against the official source |
| Iowa | 3 days' written notice to pay or the lease ends. | If rent is unpaid, serve a written notice of nonpayment and your intent to terminate if rent is not paid within 3 days. Serve by signed acknowledgment from an adult resident, personal service, or posting on the main door plus regular and certified mail. Mailed notice counts as served 4 days after mailing. | Iowa Code 562A.27(2); 562A.29A Checked against the official source |
| Kansas | 3 days' written notice to pay or the lease ends. | The 3 days are counted as three consecutive 24-hour periods starting at delivery or posting. Serve the tenant, a resident over 12, or post in a conspicuous place. If mailed, allow 2 extra days. | K.S.A. 58-2564(b) Checked against the official source |
| Kentucky | URLTA areas: 7 days' written notice to pay or the lease ends. Elsewhere, no statutory pay period. | In URLTA areas, if rent is unpaid the landlord may terminate when the tenant fails to pay within 7 days after written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate. Outside URLTA areas no statute sets a pay-or-quit period; a tenancy at will ends on one month's written notice. Accepting rent after the notice can waive the right to terminate. | KRS 383.660(2) (URLTA areas); KRS 383.195 Checked against the official source |
| Louisiana | Written notice to vacate giving at least 5 days, unless the lease waives notice. | Louisiana uses a notice to vacate rather than a pay-or-quit notice. A written waiver in the lease lets the landlord file right away once the right of occupancy ends. Properties covered by the federal CARES Act need a 30-day notice for nonpayment. A tenant under an oral lease who does not pay within 20 days after a written demand can be liable for attorney fees (R.S. 9:3259). | La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4701; La. R.S. 9:3259 Checked against the official source |
| Maine | 7-day written notice once rent is 7 or more days late. | Full payment before the 7-day notice expires voids it. In tenancies at will, the tenant can still reinstate before the writ issues by paying all arrears, current rent and your filing and service costs. Notices must tell the tenant of the right to contest in court. After 3 good-faith attempts at in-hand service, you may mail and leave the notice at the unit. | 14 M.R.S. 6002(1) Checked against the official source |
| Maryland | 10 days' written notice to cure before filing. | Use the Maryland Judiciary's form. Deliver by first-class mail with a certificate of mailing, by posting on the door, or electronically if the tenant elected it. The complaint must state the date the notice was given. | Md. Code, Real Prop. 8-401(c) Checked against the official source |
| Massachusetts | 14-day written notice to quit. | A tenant at will who has not received a nonpayment notice in the past 12 months can stop the termination by paying all rent due within 10 days, and the notice must say so in the statutory words. A tenant with a written lease can cure by paying rent, interest, and costs by the answer date. Every nonpayment notice to quit must come with the state form required by § 31, and courts must grant a continuance while a rental assistance application is pending. | G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31; G.L. c. 239, § 15 Checked against the official source |
| Michigan | 7-day written demand for possession. | Serve a written demand for possession that gives the tenant 7 days to pay. If the tenant neither pays nor leaves, file summary proceedings in district court. Accelerated rent does not count as rent due for this demand. A month-to-month tenancy can also be ended for nonpayment by a 7-day notice to quit. | MCL 600.5714(1)(a); MCL 554.134(2) Checked against the official source |
| Minnesota | 14-day written notice with required statements before filing. | Before filing for nonpayment, deliver a written notice by hand or first-class mail that lists the total due, an itemized breakdown of rent, late fees, and other charges, who can accept payment, and three required statements about legal help, rental assistance, and the 14-day deadline. If the tenant does not pay or move within 14 days, or a longer local period, you may file. Courts dismiss cases filed without a proper notice. | Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subd. 1a Checked against the official source |
| Mississippi | 3-day written notice to pay or the agreement ends. | Deliver written notice (or email or text if the tenant agreed in writing to that method) that the rental agreement will end if rent is not paid within 3 days. Then file a sworn affidavit or complaint with a copy of the notice. | Miss. Code Ann. §§ 89-8-13(5)(a), 89-8-33 (as amended and enacted by 2022 SB 2461) Checked against the official source |
| Missouri | Demand the rent; no set notice period. | Before filing a rent and possession case, rent must be due and you or your agent must have demanded payment. The one-month notice in § 441.060 is not required. File a verified statement with an associate circuit judge in the county. | RSMo § 535.020 Checked against the official source |
| Montana | 3-day written notice to pay or the agreement ends. | If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant does not pay within 3 days after written notice of nonpayment and your intent to terminate, you may end the rental agreement. | MCA 70-24-422(2) Checked against the official source |
| Nebraska | 7 calendar days' written notice. | If rent is unpaid when due, give written notice of nonpayment and your intent to terminate if rent is not paid within 7 calendar days. If the tenant does not pay, you may end the rental agreement and file for possession. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1431(2) Checked against the official source |
| Nevada | 7 judicial days' notice to pay rent or quit (summary eviction). | The notice must name the court and tell the tenant how to file an affidavit contesting it. A 4-day option exists for weekly rent tenancies under 45 days if you gave the required written disclosure at move-in. Federal, state and tribal workers in a government shutdown get extra protection. | NRS 40.2512, NRS 40.253 Checked against the official source |
| New Hampshire | Demand for rent plus a 7-day eviction notice. | The notice must state the reason and tell the tenant they can stop the eviction by paying arrears and $15 before the hearing. The court publishes demand and notice forms. | RSA 540:3, II and IV; 540:4; 540:5 Checked against the official source |
| New Jersey | No notice to quit required before filing for nonpayment. | The notice requirements of the Anti-Eviction Act do not apply to nonpayment of rent, so you may file once rent is unpaid. Rent a tenant used to keep utilities on after a shutoff notice for the landlord's nonpayment is not unpaid rent. Federally subsidized housing may have separate federal notice rules. | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(a), 2A:18-61.2 Checked against the official source |
| New Mexico | 3-day written notice of nonpayment and intent to terminate. | If the tenant tenders the full amount due in the manner stated before the 3 days end, you cannot file. Deadlines falling on weekends or federal holidays roll to the next business day. | NMSA 47-8-33(D), (H) Checked against the official source |
| New York | 14-day written rent demand. | The demand must give the tenant the choice to pay or give up possession. Serve it before filing a nonpayment case. | N.Y. Real Prop. Actions & Proc. Law § 711(2) Checked against the official source |
| North Carolina | 10-day written demand for past-due rent unless the lease provides its own forfeiture terms. | Under G.S. 42-3 the lease is forfeited if rent is not paid within 10 days after you demand all past-due rent. If the lease says the tenancy ends on nonpayment, you may file summary ejectment under G.S. 42-26(a)(2) on the lease terms instead. Unpaid water, sewer, or electric charges cannot be the basis for ending the lease. | N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 42-3, 42-26(a)(2), (b) Checked against the official source |
| North Dakota | 3 days' written notice of intent to evict once rent is 3 days past due. | Serve the notice like a summons or, if the tenant cannot be found, by sheriff or process server posting on the premises. | N.D.C.C. §§ 47-32-01(4), 47-32-02 Checked against the official source |
| Ohio | 3-day notice to leave the premises before filing eviction. | Serve by certified mail, in person, or by leaving it at the home or premises. The notice must include this exact language, printed conspicuously: "You are being asked to leave the premises. If you do not leave, an eviction action may be initiated against you. If you are in doubt regarding your legal rights and obligations as a tenant, it is recommended that you seek legal assistance." The statute gives no right to cure by paying. | Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04 Checked against the official source |
| Oklahoma | 5-day written demand for rent. | If rent is not paid within 5 days after written demand, the landlord may end the lease. The demand counts as a demand for possession, so no separate notice to quit is needed. You may give it before or after filing a suit for rent. | 41 O.S. § 131 Checked against the official source |
| Oregon | 10-day notice served on day 8 or later, or 13-day notice served on day 5 or later. | Week-to-week tenancies use a 72-hour notice served no sooner than day 5. The notice must state the exact amount owed and the date and time by which to pay. If served by mail only, a mailed payment within the notice period is usually timely. Do not include late fees in the amount needed to cure. | ORS 90.394, 90.260(6) Checked against the official source |
| Pennsylvania | 10-day notice to quit after demand for unpaid rent. | Serve personally, leave it at the main building on the premises, or post it conspicuously. A written lease can shorten or waive the notice. The tenant can stop the eviction for nonpayment by paying the back rent and costs any time before the writ of possession is executed. | 68 P.S. §§ 250.501, 250.503(c) Checked against the official source |
| Rhode Island | Once rent is 15 days late, mail a 5-day demand notice. File no earlier than day 6 after mailing. | Use the statutory form. If the tenant has not received a demand notice in the prior 6 months, the tenant can still cure by paying all arrears plus court costs at the hearing. You must be registered in the statewide rental registry to file. | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-35, 34-18-56, 34-18-58(g) Checked against the official source |
| South Carolina | 5 days after rent is due, with written notice. The lease can supply the notice. | If the lease contains the statutory "IF YOU DO NOT PAY YOUR RENT ON TIME" paragraph (or substantially equivalent language), no separate notice is needed before filing, even after the lease converts to month-to-month. Otherwise one written notice per lease term satisfies the rule. | S.C. Code §§ 27-40-710(B), 27-37-10(B) Checked against the official source |
| South Dakota | Eviction may be filed once rent is 3 days past due. The separate 3-day notice to quit was repealed in 2024. | SDCL 21-16-1 allows a forcible entry and detainer action when a tenant fails to pay rent for three days after it is due. SB 90 (2024) repealed § 21-16-2, which had required a three-day written notice to quit. Check the lease for any notice it promises. | SDCL 21-16-1(4); SL 2024, ch 75 Checked against the official source |
| Tennessee | 14-day notice to pay or the lease ends, unless the lease validly waives notice. | If the written lease waives notice for nonpayment in bold 12-point type or larger, you may file a detainer warrant as soon as rent is late. Outside URLTA counties, a separate statute allows 14 days' notice for nonpayment. | Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 66-28-505, 66-7-109 Secondary source |
| Texas | Three days' written notice to vacate, unless the lease sets a different period. | If the tenant was not late in prior months, the notice must be a notice to pay rent or vacate. Deliver by mail, inside the unit in a conspicuous place, by hand to a tenant 16 or older, or by email if agreed in writing. Federal CARES Act properties may need 30 days. | Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005 Checked against the official source |
| Utah | 3 business days' notice to pay rent or vacate. | The notice can be served any time after rent is due. Serve as required by Section 78B-6-805. CARES Act covered properties need a 30-day notice to vacate. | Utah Code § 78B-6-802(1)(c) Checked against the official source |
| Vermont | At least 14 days' actual notice of the termination date. | The tenancy does not end if the tenant pays all rent due through the end of the rental period before the termination date. Taking partial payment does not waive the eviction. | 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a) Checked against the official source |
| Virginia | 14-day written notice to pay or the lease ends. | Bounced checks and reversed payments also get a 14-day notice. From July 1, 2027, landlords with more than four units must offer a payment plan in the notice when the debt is one month's rent or less. | Va. Code § 55.1-1245(F) Checked against the official source |
| Washington | 14-day notice to pay rent or vacate, on the state form. | The notice must follow the statutory form, including attorney general and legal aid information. Payments must be applied first to the amount on the notice. | RCW 59.18.057; RCW 59.12.030(3) Checked against the official source |
| West Virginia | No statutory notice is required before filing a summary eviction petition. | Once rent is in arrears, the owner may file a verified petition in magistrate or circuit court, and the court sets a hearing 5 to 10 judicial days after filing. Follow any notice your lease promises. | W. Va. Code § 55-3A-1 Checked against the official source |
| Wisconsin | 5-day pay or vacate for most tenants; 14-day notice to vacate with no cure for a repeat within 12 months. | Month-to-month tenants can also get a 14-day notice to vacate. Tenants on leases over one year get 30 days to pay. | Wis. Stat. § 704.17 Checked against the official source |
| Wyoming | 3-day notice to quit after rent is 3 days late. | Eviction can be filed once rent is unpaid 3 days after it is due and a written 3-day notice to quit has been served by leaving it with the renter or at the home. | Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003 Checked against the official source |
Laws change. Each rule shows its source and the date it was last checked. Read the statute and talk to a local attorney before acting.
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