30 Day Notice to Vacate From Landlord: Free Template + Rules in All 50 States
A 30 day notice to vacate is a written notice from a landlord telling a month to month tenant that the tenancy will end on a set date and the tenant must move out by then. Below is a free fillable notice to vacate (PDF), a filled in sample, the notice period a landlord must give in all 50 states and DC, and how to deliver the notice so you can prove it.
Free fillable 30 day notice to vacate (PDF). One page: tenants and rental address, the last day of the tenancy, the days of notice you are giving, last rent and the deposit, a reason box for places that require one, your signature, and a proof of delivery section.
Fill it in on your computer, then print and sign it.
What is a notice to vacate?
It is the written notice a landlord gives to end a month to month tenancy (also called a periodic tenancy or a tenancy at will). It names the tenants and the rental, gives the date the tenancy ends, and asks the tenant to move out and return the keys by that date.
- Month to month tenancy: this is the notice you use. Give at least the notice your state requires (see the table below).
- Fixed term lease: it normally ends on its end date. If you do not want to renew, send a non renewal notice. Some states set how far ahead you must send it. See our lease termination letter.
- Unpaid rent or a lease violation: this is not the right notice. Those are eviction notices with their own, usually shorter, deadlines. For late rent, start with a late rent notice.
A notice to vacate does not let you remove the tenant yourself. If the tenant stays after the end date, only a court can order them to leave. Changing the locks, removing belongings or shutting off utilities to force a tenant out is illegal in most states.
Is 30 days always enough?
No. “30 day notice to vacate” is a common name for this letter, but the notice a landlord must give depends on the state, and sometimes on how long the tenant has lived there:
- Shorter: North Carolina (7 days), Louisiana (10 days), Pennsylvania (15 days), South Dakota (15 days) and Utah (15 days before the end of the month).
- Longer: Georgia (60 days), Delaware (60 days), Maryland (60 days), Hawaii (45 days), California (60 days after the first year) and New York (60 or 90 days after the first year).
- A reason is needed: in Washington, New Jersey (most rentals), the District of Columbia and New Hampshire (most rentals), and in California, Colorado and Oregon after the first year, you cannot end a month to month tenancy just by giving notice. You need a reason the law allows. New York City and some New York towns have a similar Good Cause law.
- Timing rules: in many states the tenancy must end on a rent date or at the end of a rental period, not on any day you pick.
Your lease can also require more notice than the law, and some cities add their own rules. When in doubt, give more days than the minimum and end the tenancy on the last day of a rental period.
Notice to vacate by state (all 50 states and DC)
This table shows the notice a landlord must give to end a month to month tenancy, taken from each state’s law. It is for tenancies without a fault (not for unpaid rent or lease violations). Last checked: November 2026.
| State | Landlord notice to end a month to month tenancy | Reason (just cause) needed? | Law |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days written, before a rent date | No | Ala. Code 35-9A-441(b) |
| Alaska | 30 days written, before a rent due date | No | AS 34.03.290(b) |
| Arizona | 30 days written, before a rent date | No | A.R.S. 33-1375(B) |
| Arkansas | 30 days written | No | Ark. Code 18-17-704(b) |
| California | 30 days if the tenant has lived there under 1 year; 60 days if 1 year or more | Yes, after 12 months, unless exempt (for example an owner occupied duplex, or a single family home owned by an individual with the required lease notice). Some cities are stricter | Civ. Code 1946.1, 1946.2 |
| Colorado | At least 21 days. After 12 months, no fault reasons need at least 90 days | Yes, after 12 months, unless the owner lives on the property in a single family home, duplex or triplex | C.R.S. 13-40-107; 38-12-1303 |
| Connecticut | No set number of days. The tenancy ends at the end of a rental month, and a notice to quit must give at least 3 days | Only for tenants 62 or older or with a disability, in buildings of 5 or more units | C.G.S. 47a-23, 47a-23c |
| Delaware | 60 days written, counted from the 1st of the month after the tenant gets the notice | No | 25 Del. C. 5106(d) |
| District of Columbia | No ending without a legal reason. Owner move in or sale: 90 days | Yes | D.C. Code 42-3505.01 |
| Florida | 30 days written, before the end of a monthly period | No | Fla. Stat. 83.57(3) |
| Georgia | 60 days (tenancy at will) | No | O.C.G.A. 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | 45 days written | No | HRS 521-71 |
| Idaho | At least 1 month written | No | Idaho Code 55-208 |
| Illinois | 30 days written | No statewide. Chicago has its own longer notice rules | 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b) |
| Indiana | 1 month (one rental period) | No | IC 32-31-1-4 |
| Iowa | 30 days written, before a rent date | No | Iowa Code 562A.34 |
| Kansas | 30 days written, ending on a rent date | No | K.S.A. 58-2570(b) |
| Kentucky | 30 days before a rent date where the state landlord tenant act applies; 1 month written elsewhere | No | KRS 383.695(2), 383.195 |
| Louisiana | 10 days before the end of the month | No | La. Civ. Code art. 2728 |
| Maine | 30 days written. The notice must tell the tenant they can contest it in court | No | 14 M.R.S. 6002 |
| Maryland | 60 days written | No under state law | Real Prop. 8-402(c) |
| Massachusetts | The rent period or 30 days, whichever is longer | No | G.L. c.186 §12 |
| Michigan | 1 month (one rent period) | No | MCL 554.134(1) |
| Minnesota | 1 month written (one rental period) | No statewide | Minn. Stat. 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days written | No | Miss. Code 89-8-19(3) |
| Missouri | 1 month written | No | RSMo 441.060(3) |
| Montana | 30 days written | No | MCA 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | 30 days written, before a rent date | No | Neb. Rev. Stat. 76-1437(2) |
| Nevada | 30 days. A tenant 60 or older or with a disability can ask for 30 more days | No | NRS 40.251 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | Yes for most rentals (a legitimate business reason can count). Exempt: a single family house if the owner owns 3 or fewer, or an owner occupied building of 4 or fewer units | RSA 540:2, 540:3 |
| New Jersey | Most rentals: no ending without a legal reason. Owner occupied building with 2 or fewer rental units: 1 month notice to quit | Yes, except owner occupied buildings with 2 or fewer rental units | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1, 2A:18-56 |
| New Mexico | 30 days written, before a rent date | No | NMSA 47-8-37(B) |
| New York | 30 days (under 1 year), 60 days (1 to 2 years), 90 days (2 years or more) | In New York City and towns that opted in to Good Cause. Landlords with 10 or fewer units are exempt | Real Prop. Law 226-c; Art. 6-A |
| North Carolina | 7 days | No | G.S. 42-14 |
| North Dakota | 1 calendar month written, unless agreed otherwise in writing | No | N.D.C.C. 47-16-15 |
| Ohio | 30 days before a rent date | No | R.C. 5321.17(B) |
| Oklahoma | 30 days written | No | 41 O.S. 111 |
| Oregon | First year: 30 days. After the first year: only for cause or certain landlord reasons, with 90 days. Owner living in a 2 unit property: 60 days | Yes, after the first year. Landlords with 4 or fewer units do not pay the one month relocation amount | ORS 90.427 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 days notice to quit (lease of 1 year or less) | No | 68 P.S. 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | 30 days written | No | R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18-37 |
| South Carolina | 30 days written | No | S.C. Code 27-40-770(b) |
| South Dakota | At least 15 days. 2 months if the tenant or their spouse or minor child is on active military duty | No | SDCL 43-8-8 |
| Tennessee | 30 days before a rent date (counties under the state landlord tenant act) | No | T.C.A. 66-28-512 |
| Texas | At least 1 month, unless the lease says otherwise | No | Prop. Code 91.001 |
| Utah | 15 days before the end of the month | No | Utah Code 78B-6-802 |
| Vermont | No written lease: 60 days (2 years or less), 90 days (over 2 years). Written lease: 30 or 60 days before the term ends | No | 9 V.S.A. 4467 |
| Virginia | 30 days written, before the next rent date | No | Va. Code 55.1-1253(A) |
| Washington | No ending without a legal reason. Owner move in or sale of a single family home: 90 days | Yes | RCW 59.18.650 |
| West Virginia | One full rent period, written | No | W. Va. Code 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | 28 days written, at the end of a rent period | No | Wis. Stat. 704.19 |
| Wyoming | No state law sets a period. Follow your lease, and get local advice | No state law found | None found |
Local rules can be stricter. Cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Oakland, and the Good Cause towns in New York, add longer notice periods or reason requirements. Check your city or county before you serve the notice.
What to include
- The date of the notice.
- The names of all tenants on the lease, and the full rental address with the unit number.
- A clear statement that the month to month tenancy will end, and the exact last day.
- The number of days of notice you are giving.
- The reason, if your state or city requires one.
- Move out details: return of keys, the last rent payment, and how to schedule a move out inspection.
- A request for the tenant’s forwarding address, so you can return the security deposit or send the list of deductions.
- Your name, signature and contact details.
Keep it short and factual. Leave out threats, and do not ask for more than the law allows.
Sample 30 day notice to vacate
November 20, 2026 To: Jordan Ellis and Casey Ellis Rental: 412 Palm Court, Unit B, Tampa, FL 33606 30 DAY NOTICE TO VACATE You are notified that your month to month tenancy of the rental above will end on December 31, 2026. Please move out, remove your belongings and return all keys by 5:00 pm on that date. Your last rent payment of $1,350 is due on December 1, 2026. I hold a security deposit of $1,350. Please send me your forwarding address in writing. I will handle the deposit within the time Florida law requires. To schedule a move out inspection, call me at (813) 555-0142. Sincerely, Dana Brooks, owner Delivered by hand to Jordan Ellis on 11/20/2026.
Names, address and phone number are examples only. In Florida, a month to month tenancy ends with at least 30 days written notice before the end of a monthly period. This notice is given 41 days before December 31, so it meets the rule. See our Florida landlord guide for more.
How to deliver it and count the days
- Follow your lease and state law. Many leases say how notices must be delivered. Some states list the allowed methods.
- Hand delivery is the clearest. Note the date, time and who received it.
- Mail: first class mail with a certificate of mailing, or certified mail with a return receipt, gives you proof. Allow extra days for mailing.
- Email or text: use it only if your state and your lease allow electronic notice. Send a paper copy too if you are unsure.
- Count from the day the tenant gets it. If your state requires the tenancy to end on a rent date or at the end of a rental period, pick that date.
- Keep a copy of the signed notice and your proof of delivery with the lease. The free PDF has a proof of delivery box.
What happens after the notice
- Move out inspection: walk through the unit with the tenant if you can. Use our move out checklist.
- Rent for a partial month: if the last day is not the end of a rent period, use the prorated rent calculator.
- Security deposit: return it, or send a list of deductions, within your state’s deadline. See our security deposit return letter.
- If the tenant does not leave: do not change the locks, remove belongings or shut off utilities. Only a court can order a tenant to leave, so you would need to file an eviction case.
- Rent after the end date: in some states, accepting rent for a period after the end date can cancel the notice or create a new tenancy. Ask a local attorney before you accept it.
After the tenant leaves, see what to do with mail for a previous tenant.
When the tenant moves out, record the final rent and any prorated amount in your rent ledger.
Is a fixed term lease ending instead? Send a lease non renewal letter before the end date.
Frequently asked questions
Can a landlord give a 30 day notice to vacate for no reason?
In most states, yes, for a month to month tenancy. But not in Washington, New Jersey (most rentals), the District of Columbia or New Hampshire (most rentals), and not in California, Colorado or Oregon after the first year, unless an exemption applies. New York City and some New York towns also require a good cause.
Is a notice to vacate the same as an eviction notice?
No. A notice to vacate ends a month to month tenancy. An eviction notice is for unpaid rent or a lease violation, follows different rules and often has a shorter deadline. If the tenant stays after the end date, you need a court order to remove them.
Can I give a notice to vacate during a fixed term lease?
Usually not to end it early. A fixed term lease runs to its end date unless the lease allows early termination, the tenant agrees in writing, or there is a legal reason. You can send a non renewal notice before the lease ends.
Can I send a notice to vacate by email or text?
Only if your state and your lease allow electronic notice. Hand delivery or mail with proof of mailing is the safest choice.
How much notice does a landlord have to give to end a month to month lease?
It depends on the state. Many states require 30 days or one rental period, but North Carolina requires 7 days, Pennsylvania 15 days, and Georgia, Delaware and Maryland 60 days. See the table above.
Laws change, and cities can add their own rules. Check your state and local law, or ask a local attorney, before you serve a notice.
Sources
The state laws are linked in the table above. Related guides: lease termination letter, lease renewal letter, rent increase notice rules by state.
