Eviction Notice Forms – By State

Eviction laws vary by state—especially regarding notice periods, delivery methods, and tenant rights. Use a state-specific eviction notice to stay compliant and meet local legal requirements.

Types of Eviction Notices

Different types of eviction notices help you communicate different reasons for eviction. Choose the right template for late rent, lease violations, illegal activity, or tenant relocation agreements.

This notice lets the tenant know they haven’t paid rent and gives them a set number of days to either pay the full amount or move out of the rental unit

Notice to Pay or Quit (Non-Payment)

The landlord gives this notice when a tenant breaks a rule in the lease

Notice to Comply or Quit (Non-Compliance)

This notice is sent when illegal activity has happened at the rental

Notice to Quit for Illegal Activity

This agreement is used when a landlord offers a tenant money in exchange for moving out voluntarily

Cash-for-Keys

This letter warns a tenant that smoking marijuana violates the lease or building policies

Warning Letter for Smoking Marijuana

Eviction Notices by Notice Period

Choose the right template based on the required number of days’ notice in your state.

Notifies tenants they must fix a lease violation or move out within three days

3-Day Eviction Notice

Gives tenants five days to address a lease violation, such as non-payment of rent

5-Day Eviction Notice

Allows tenants seven days to remedy a lease breach or leave the property

7-Day Eviction Notice

Provides tenants 10 days to resolve an issue or vacate the property

10-Day Eviction Notice

Grants tenants fourteen days to correct a violation or leave the property

14-Day Eviction Notice

Terminates a month-to-month lease, giving tenants sixty days to vacate

What Is an Eviction Notice?

An eviction notice (or a notice to quit) is a formal document a landlord gives to a tenant to address a lease violation or request that they move out. It explains the issue, such as unpaid rent or property damage. If the problem is fixable, the notice gives the tenant a chance to correct it.

Eviction notices are often required before a landlord can file a legal eviction in court. If the tenant doesn’t leave on their own, a law enforcement officer may remove them after the court approves the eviction.

Our eviction notice template makes it easy to start the eviction process correctly. To stay compliant with local laws and timelines, choose a state-specific form based on your reason for eviction. If you’re looking for more voluntary move-out notices, you may want to use a notice to vacate instead.

Reasons to Send an Eviction Notice

Landlords cannot evict tenants for no reason if they’re on fixed-term leases. Below, you can explore some of the most common reasons to send an eviction notice:

Not paying rent: The tenant has not paid rent on time, and the landlord has not received the full amount owed.
Breaking the lease agreement: The tenant is not following the lease agreement terms, such as having an unauthorized pet or extra people living in the unit.
Damaging the property: The tenant caused serious damage beyond normal wear and tear and didn’t fix it after being asked.
Illegal activity: There is evidence of illegal actions at the property, such as drug use or other criminal behavior.
Disturbing neighbors: The tenant is creating repeated noise, threats, or other problems that affect people living nearby.
Refusing to leave after the lease ends: The tenant stays in the rental unit after the lease is over and doesn’t have permission to remain.

How to Write an Eviction Notice

Writing an eviction notice requires clarity and precision to ensure it’s legally valid. Each state has specific rules on what details must be included, such as the reason for eviction and the required notice period. By following the steps below, you can create an enforceable notice that protects your rights as a landlord.

Step 1 – Fill Out Initial Details

Fill in your information as the landlord, including your name, address, and phone number. This way, the tenant can communicate with you, either to get clarification on addressing the violation or to inform you that they’ll comply and move out.

Also, provide the tenant’s name and property address to clearly identify the intended recipient. If multiple tenants are on the lease, make sure you add all of them to avoid future problems. When you use our template, you can easily name multiple tenants.

Step 2 – Cite the Lease & Document the Violation

Note the date you and the tenant(s) entered the original agreement and name their violation. Our guided questionnaire offers pre-written options for you to choose from, which include:

Failing to pay rent
Violating the lease
Remaining on the property
Terminating a periodic tenancy

You can also reference the specific lease provision that the tenant broke for greater clarity.

Step 3 – Give a Correction Date & Reference State Laws

Clarify whether the violation is curable or incurable. If the breach can be cured, provide a deadline by which the tenant must fix the lease violation and ways they can correct it. You should also specify that if they’re unwilling or unable to correct the breach, they must move out within the given notice period.

Make sure the notice period matches your state’s legal requirements. Referencing the correct statutes strengthens your position if the eviction proceeds, showing that you followed proper procedures. Legal Templates’s form automatically inserts the applicable state laws and section numbers, saving you the trouble of finding them yourself.

State	Notice Period for Non-Payment	Notice Period for Non-Compliance	Can the Tenant Pay to Avoid Eviction? (if the violation is curable)	Law
Alabama	7 days	7 days	Yes	AL Code § 35-9A-421
Alaska	7 days	10 days	Yes	AK Stat § 34-3-160 and § 34-3-220
Arizona	5 days	10 days	Yes	AZ Rev Stat § 33-1368
Arkansas	3 days	14 days	No	AR Code § 18-60-304 and § 18-17-901
California	3 days	3 days	Yes	CA Civ Pro Code § 1161
Colorado	10 days	10 days	Yes	CO Rev Stat § 13-40-104 and § 13-40-107
Connecticut	3 days	15 days	No	CT Gen Stat § 47a-23a.
Delaware	5 days	7 days	Yes	25 DE Code § 5502 and § 5513
Florida	3 days	7 days	Yes	FL Stat § 83.56
Georgia	3 days	Immediate	Yes	GA Code § 44-7-50
Hawaii	5 days	10 days	Yes	HI Rev Stat § 521-68 and § 521-72
Idaho	3 days	3 days	Yes	ID Code § 6-303
Illinois	5 days	10 days	Yes	735 ILCS 5/9-209 and 735 ILCS 5/9-210
Indiana	10 days	N/A	Yes	IN Code § 32-31-1-6 to § 32-31-1-9
Iowa	3 days	7 days	Yes	IA Code § 562A.27
Kansas	3 days	14 days	Yes	KS Stat § 58-2507 and § 58-2564
Kentucky	7 days	14 days	Yes	KY Rev Stat § 383.660 and § 383.665
Louisiana	5 days	5 days	No	LA Code Civ Pro Art. 4701
Maine	7 days	7 days	Maybe	14 ME Rev Stat § 6002
Maryland	10 days	30 days	Yes	MD Real Property Code § 8-401 and § 8-402
Massachusetts	14 days	30 days	Yes	MA Gen L ch 186 § 11 and MA Gen L ch 186 § 11a
Michigan	7 days	7 days	Yes	MI Comp L § 554.134 and § 600.5714
Minnesota	14 days	N/A	Yes	MN Stat § 504B.321
Mississippi	3 days	14/30 days	Yes	MS Code § 89-7-27 and § 89-8-13
Missouri	Immediate	10 days	Yes	MO Rev Stat § 441.040 and § 535.060
Montana	3 days	- 14 days - 3 days if pet or guest problem	Yes	MT Code § 70-24-422
Nebraska	7 days	- 14 days to cure - 30 days to vacate	Yes	NE Code § 76-1431
Nevada	5 days	5 days	Yes	NV Rev Stat § 40.2512
New Hampshire	7 days	30 days	Yes	NH Rev Stat § 540:3
New Jersey	30 days	30 days	Yes	NJ Rev Stat § 2A:18-53
New Mexico	3 days	7 days	Yes	NM Stat § 47-8-33
New York	14 days	14 days	Yes	NY Real Prop Actions L § 711 and § 753
North Carolina	10 days	Immediate	Yes	NC Gen Stat § 42-3
North Dakota	3 days	3 days	Yes	ND Cent Code § 47-32
Ohio	3 days	3 days	Yes	OH Rev Code § 1923.02 and § 1923.04
Oklahoma	5 days	- 10 days to cure - 15 days to vacate	Yes	41 OK Stat § 131 and § 132
Oregon	3 days	- 10 days to cure - 14 days to vacate	Yes	OR Rev Stat § 90.392 and § 90.394
Pennsylvania	10 days	- 15 days - 30 days if tenant has lived there for over one year	Yes	20 PA Cons Stat § 501
Rhode Island	5 days	20 days	Yes	RI Gen Law § 34-18-35 and § 34-18-36
South Carolina	5 days	14 days	Yes	SC Code § 27-40-710
South Dakota	3 days	Not specified	No	SD Codified L § 21-6-1 and § 43-32-18
Tennessee	14 days	- 14 days to cure - 30 days to vacate	- 14 days: yes - 7 days: no	TN Code § 66-7-109 and § 66-28-505
Texas	3 days	3 days	No	TX Prop § 24.005
Utah	3 days	3 days	Yes	UT Code § 78B-6-802
Vermont	14 days	30 days	Yes	9 VT Stats § 4467
Virginia	5 days	- 21 days to cure - 30 days to vacate	Yes	VA Code § 55.1-1415 and § 55.1-1245
Washington	14 days	10 days	Yes	WA Rev Code § 59.12.030
West Virginia	Immediate	Immediate	Yes	WV Code § 55-3A-1
Wisconsin	5/14 days	5/30 days	- 5 days: yes - 14 days: no	WI Stat § 704.17
Wyoming	3 days	3 days	Yes	WY Stat § 1-21-1003

Step 4 – Sign the Notice

Sign the notice and specify the date you’re writing it so the established deadlines are clear. If needed, differentiate between the date you sign the notice and the date the tenant receives it.

Does an Eviction Notice Have to Be Notarized?

No, an eviction notice does not have to be notarized. It serves as a formal warning to the tenant, informing them they must correct a violation or move out. Your signature and the details provided will let the tenant know they must follow the notice’s terms.

Step 5 – Collect Proof of Service Information

In most states, you must provide proof of service to the tenant as part of moving forward with the eviction process. Proof of service is evidence that you submitted the notice and the tenant received it. Depending on your state’s rules, you may serve an eviction notice via one of the following methods:

Personal delivery
Substituted delivery (via someone living at the residence)
Posted delivery
Mailed delivery
Service by a sheriff or authorized process server

When you use our template, you can choose whether you want to include proof of service. Even if your area’s laws don’t require it, it’s wise to provide it so you can prove when and how the tenant received the notice.

Ensure you’re familiar with how long the eviction process takes so that you can anticipate the timeline.

Sample Eviction Notice

If you’re wondering what an eviction notice looks like, you can view a sample below. Customize this printable eviction notice template using our guided questionnaire, then download your completed notice in PDF or Word format.

This is a document preview. Your customized version will be created after you answer a few quick questions.

eviction-notice

Next Steps After Serving the Eviction Notice

Serving the notice is just the beginning. What happens next depends on your state’s laws, the type of violation, and how the tenant responds.

Wait for the notice period to pass: Tenants must receive the full notice period to correct the issue or move out. Depending on the state and reason for eviction, this can range from a few days to over a month.
Avoid “self-help” evictions: Landlords cannot change the locks, shut off utilities, or remove tenant belongings without a court order.
File for formal eviction if needed: If the tenant doesn’t comply, you’ll likely need to file an eviction lawsuit (often called an “unlawful detainer”) in your local court. This is a separate legal process that may require a hearing.
Understand tenant rights: Tenants have legal protections, including the right to contest the eviction in court. Following the correct legal process helps prevent delays or your case being dismissed.