Eviction Notice Template (by State)
An eviction notice for unpaid rent is usually a notice to pay or quit, telling the tenant how much rent is owed and how many days they have to pay or move out. This template gives you the standard structure, and the table below lists every state's nonpayment notice period. Many states and cities require their own form or exact wording, so check first. For lease terms, start with our free lease agreement template.
By LandlordTested editorial teamLast reviewed
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit
Free to use and edit. To get a Word or Google Docs copy, print to PDF or copy the text into a new document.
[NUMBER OF DAYS]-day notice to pay rent or quit
Before you use this template, check whether [STATE] or your city requires its own official form or exact wording. Many do. A notice with the wrong period, wording or delivery method can get an eviction case dismissed.
Date of this notice: ______________
To (all tenants and adult occupants named on the lease): ______________________________________________
______________________________________________
And all other occupants in possession of the premises at:
Street address: ______________________________________________
Unit: __________ City: ______________________ County: ______________________ State: [STATE] ZIP: __________
Notice
You are hereby notified that rent for the premises above is past due in the amount shown below. Within [NUMBER OF DAYS] [CALENDAR / BUSINESS / JUDICIAL] days after service of this notice, you must either:
- Pay the full amount of rent due, or
- Vacate and deliver possession of the premises to the landlord.
If you do neither within that time, the landlord may file an eviction (unlawful detainer or forcible entry and detainer) lawsuit against you to recover possession of the premises, unpaid rent, and any other amounts allowed by law and your rental agreement.
Rent due
| Rental period | Rent due date | Amount of rent due | Amount paid | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | $ | $ | ||
| $ | $ | $ | ||
| $ | $ | $ | ||
| Total rent now due | $ |
[CHECK YOUR STATE: Some states do not allow late fees, utilities or other charges to be included in a pay-or-quit notice. List only what [STATE] law allows. Do not demand more than is actually owed.]
How to pay
Payment must be made to: ______________________________________________
At this address: ______________________________________________
Or by this method: ______________________________________________
Days and hours payment can be made in person: ______________________________
Phone number of the person accepting payment: ______________________________
[ADD ANY STATEMENT [STATE] OR LOCAL LAW REQUIRES, such as a notice of tenant rights, rental assistance resources, the right to cure, or a required warning in specific wording.]
Landlord
Landlord or agent name: ______________________________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
Phone: ______________________ Email: ______________________________
Signature: ______________________________ Date: ______________
Proof of service
I, ______________________________, declare that I served this notice on the tenant(s) named above on ______________ (date) at ______________ (time) by the following method:
- Personal delivery to the tenant: ______________________ (name of person served)
- Delivery to a person of suitable age and discretion at the premises: ______________________ (name), and mailing a copy to the tenant on ______________
- Posting a copy in a conspicuous place at the premises, and mailing a copy to the tenant on ______________
- Certified or registered mail (tracking number: ______________________ )
- Other method allowed by [STATE] law: ______________________
Signature of person serving: ______________________________ Date: ______________
Printed name: ______________________________
This template is general information, not legal advice. Check your state’s rules before using it.
On this page
How to fill in the notice to pay or quit
First, check for an official form
Many states and some cities publish a mandatory notice form or require exact statutory wording. Ohio’s 3-day notice, for example, must contain specific warning language. Some cities also require tenant-rights or rental-assistance information attached to the notice. If your state or city has an official form, use it instead of this template. Your county court’s self-help center is the place to check.
Title and number of days
Replace [NUMBER OF DAYS] in the title and the notice with your state’s period from the table below, and choose calendar, business or judicial days. Count from the day after service unless your state says otherwise. If the tenant was served by posting and mailing, some states add days.
Tenants and premises
Name every adult on the lease, plus “all other occupants.” Use the full address with unit, city and county. A wrong unit number is one of the most common reasons a notice fails.
Rent due table
List each unpaid rental period, the amount due, what was paid and the balance. On a $1,650 rent with $1,000 paid, the notice demands $650. Leave out late fees, utilities and other charges unless your state allows them in this notice. Demanding even a few dollars more than the rent owed can make the notice defective in some states.
How to pay
Say where, how and when the tenant can pay. If you only accept certain methods after serving a notice, state them clearly, and make sure someone is actually available at the hours you list.
Proof of service
Fill this in right after you serve it, with the date, time, method and name of the person served. Your state’s statute lists the methods it accepts. Many allow personal delivery, delivery to an adult at the unit, or posting plus mailing. Keep a photo of a posted notice and the mailing receipt.
Nonpayment notice period by state
| State | Days | Nonpayment notice |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 | 7-day notice to pay or quit (sources indicate business days are counted; confirm with the court) |
| Alaska | 7 | 7-day notice to quit for nonpayment |
| Arizona | 5 | 5-day notice to pay rent or quit |
| Arkansas | 3 | 3-day notice to vacate (civil unlawful detainer) |
| California | 3 | 3-day notice to pay rent or quit (weekends and judicial holidays excluded) |
| Colorado | 10 | 10-day demand for compliance or possession (pay or quit) |
| Connecticut | 3 | Notice to quit (at least 3 full days), served after the 9-day grace period |
| Delaware | 5 | 5-day notice to pay or quit |
| Florida | 3 | 3-day notice to pay rent or deliver possession (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and court-observed holidays) |
| Georgia | 3 | 3-business-day written notice to pay or vacate before filing (leases entered/renewed on or after July 1, 2024) |
| Hawaii | 5 | 5-business-day notice to pay or quit (confirm with the court) |
| Idaho | 3 | 3-day notice to pay or quit |
| Illinois | 5 | 5-day landlord’s notice (demand for rent) |
| Indiana | 10 | 10-day notice to pay rent or quit |
| Iowa | 3 | 3-day notice to pay or quit |
| Kansas | 3 or 10 | 3-day notice to pay (tenancies under 3 months); 10-day notice for tenancies of 3 months or longer (confirm with the court) |
| Kentucky | 7 | 7-day notice to pay or quit (URLTA localities; elsewhere a demand/notice to vacate) |
| Louisiana | 5 | 5-day notice to vacate (may be waived in the lease) |
| Maine | 7 | 7-day notice to quit for nonpayment (rent 7+ days late) |
| Maryland | 10 | 10-day written notice of intent to file a Failure to Pay Rent complaint |
| Massachusetts | 14 | 14-day notice to quit for nonpayment (tenant at will can cure within 10 days of receipt if no prior notice in the last 12 months) |
| Michigan | 7 | 7-day demand for possession (nonpayment) |
| Minnesota | 14 | 14-day pre-filing notice for nonpayment (since Jan 1, 2024) |
| Mississippi | 3 | 3-day notice to pay or quit |
| Missouri | None | No statutory notice period: landlord makes a demand for rent and may file a ‘rent and possession’ action |
| Montana | 3 | 3-day notice to pay or quit |
| Nebraska | 7 | 7-day notice to pay or quit |
| Nevada | 7 | 7-judicial-day notice to pay rent or quit |
| New Hampshire | 7 | 7-day notice (eviction notice + demand for rent) |
| New Jersey | None | No pre-filing notice required for nonpayment; landlord may file once rent is due and unpaid |
| New Mexico | 3 | 3-day notice to pay or quit |
| New York | 14 | 14-day rent demand (RPAPL § 711(2)); a separate 5-day certified-mail notice of late rent is required under RPL § 235-e |
| North Carolina | 10 | 10-day demand for rent |
| North Dakota | 3 | 3-day notice of intent to evict |
| Ohio | 3 | 3-day notice to leave the premises (must contain statutory warning language) |
| Oklahoma | 5 | 5-day notice to pay or quit |
| Oregon | 10 | 10-day nonpayment notice (served on or after the 8th day of the rental period) or 13-day notice (served on or after the 5th day) |
| Pennsylvania | 10 | 10-day notice to quit for nonpayment (can be waived in a written lease) |
| Rhode Island | 5 | 5-day demand notice (served once rent is 15 days in arrears) |
| South Carolina | 5 | 5-day written notice to pay rent (not required if the lease contains a conspicuous notice that no further notice will be given) |
| South Dakota | 3 | 3-day notice to quit |
| Tennessee | 14 | 14-day notice to pay or quit (URLTA counties) |
| Texas | 3 | 3-day notice to vacate (unless lease sets a different period); since Jan 1, 2026 (SB 38) a tenant’s first nonpayment generally requires a ‘pay rent or vacate’ notice |
| Utah | 3 | 3-business-day notice to pay or quit (confirm with the court) |
| Vermont | 14 | 14-day notice to terminate for nonpayment |
| Virginia | 14 | 14-day pay or quit notice (extended from 5 days effective July 1, 2026) |
| Washington | 14 | 14-day pay or vacate notice |
| West Virginia | None | No statutory pre-filing notice for nonpayment; landlord may file a summary (expedited) eviction petition |
| Wisconsin | 5 | 5-day pay or vacate (month-to-month or lease of 1 year or less); 30-day pay or vacate for leases over 1 year |
| Wyoming | 3 | 3-day notice to quit |
A few rules in the table need extra care. New York requires a separate 5-day certified-mail notice of late rent under RPL § 235-e in addition to the 14-day rent demand. Texas has required a “pay rent or vacate” notice for a tenant’s first nonpayment since January 1, 2026 (SB 38). In Oregon, the timing of the notice depends on which day of the rental period you serve it. Connecticut and Rhode Island don’t let you serve until rent is 9 and 15 days late. Virginia’s 14-day period took effect July 1, 2026, replacing the 5-day notice. In Louisiana, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, the lease can waive or replace the notice, but only if it’s worded the way the statute requires.
What the notice doesn’t let you do
A notice to pay or quit is the first step in a court process, not an eviction by itself. In every state, only a court order carried out by a law enforcement officer can remove a tenant. Changing locks, taking doors off, removing belongings or cutting off utilities to force someone out is self-help eviction. It’s illegal and can leave you owing the tenant damages.
Mistakes to avoid
- Using the wrong period or day count. Check the table and your statute. Business and judicial days add up fast.
- Demanding more than the rent owed. Keep fees out unless your state allows them.
- Serving it the wrong way. Use a method your statute lists, and record it.
- Filing before the period ends. Wait until the full notice period has passed.
- Taking money after the deadline without thinking. It can waive the notice in some states.
Questions landlords ask
The questions we get most, each answered in a paragraph.
Can I write my own eviction notice?
In many states, yes, as long as it contains everything the statute requires and is served correctly. But a number of states and cities require a specific form or exact wording, and courts dismiss cases over small defects. Before you serve a notice, check your state court's self-help pages or forms library, and talk to a local attorney if you're unsure.
Does the notice period include weekends?
It depends on the state. California excludes weekends and judicial holidays from its 3-day notice, Florida excludes Saturdays, Sundays and court-observed holidays, Georgia and Utah count business days, and Nevada counts judicial days. Elsewhere, calendar days are common. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, many states push the deadline to the next business day.
Can I include late fees in a notice to pay or quit?
Only where your state allows it. Some states limit the notice to unpaid rent, and including other charges can make the notice defective. In Colorado, a tenant can't be evicted solely for unpaid late fees. When in doubt, demand only the rent itself and collect fees separately.
What happens after the notice period ends?
If the tenant hasn't paid or moved out, you can file an eviction case with the local court. The court schedules a hearing, and if you win, a judgment for possession follows. Only a sheriff, marshal or constable can carry out the removal. You can't change the locks, remove belongings or shut off utilities yourself.
Can the tenant stop the eviction by paying?
Usually, if they pay the full amount demanded within the notice period. After that, it depends on the state and on whether you accept the money. Accepting full or partial payment after the deadline can waive the notice in some states, so check your state's rules before you take rent from a tenant you're evicting.