30-Day Notice to Vacate: Sample Letter and Rules
A 30-day notice to vacate is a written notice that ends a month-to-month tenancy. Either side can usually send one: a landlord telling a tenant to move out, or a tenant telling the landlord they are leaving. Thirty days is the most common minimum, but it is not the rule everywhere, so check the state table below before you date your letter.
What a 30-day notice does, and what it does not do
The notice ends a periodic tenancy, which is a rental that renews itself every period, most often month to month. Once the notice period runs out, the tenancy is over and the tenant is expected to have moved out.
It does not end a fixed-term lease early. If there is a signed lease for 12 months, a 30-day notice in month four usually has no effect unless the lease allows it or the law gives a specific right to leave early.
It is also not an eviction. If a tenant stays after the date in the notice, the landlord has to file an eviction case in court. Only a court order, carried out by a sheriff or marshal, can remove a tenant.
When 30 days is the right period
In most states, 30 days is the minimum notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, and in many of them the same period applies to both landlord and tenant. There are important exceptions. In California, a landlord must give 60 days if the tenant has lived there a year or more, and 30 days only if the tenancy is under a year (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1). Other states set longer periods for landlords, and week-to-week tenancies often need less.
Your lease can require more notice than the state minimum, and that longer period usually controls. Some cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Portland (Oregon) and Washington, DC, add their own rules on top of state law.
A few states, including California for many units after 12 months under AB 1482, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey, along with a number of cities, require a landlord to have a legal reason (just cause) to end a tenancy. In those places a plain no-reason 30-day notice may not be valid. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What to include
Keep it short and factual. A notice that is missing a basic detail can be challenged later, so check each item before you send it.
- The date you are writing the notice
- Full names of everyone on the lease
- The full rental address, including unit number
- A clear statement that the tenancy ends, and the exact date it ends
- In just-cause areas, the legal reason and any required statements
- For tenants: a forwarding address for the security deposit
- Your name, signature and contact details
How to deliver it and keep proof
Delivery rules vary by state. Common accepted methods are handing it to the person, leaving it with an adult at the home and also mailing a copy, or posting it on the door and mailing a copy. Certified mail with a return receipt is common for tenants writing to a landlord. Check whether your lease names an address or method for notices.
Keep a copy of the signed notice and a record of how and when it was delivered. A dated photo of the notice on the door, a mailing receipt, or a signed proof of service can matter later. If you mail the notice, some states add extra days to the deadline, so leave a margin.
Common mistakes that make a notice invalid
Most rejected notices fail for simple reasons:
- Counting 30 days from the wrong date, or not giving the full period
- Using 30 days where the state or city requires 60 or 90
- Ending the tenancy mid-period in a state that requires the notice to end on the last day of a rental period
- Leaving out a tenant who is on the lease
- Skipping the reason in a just-cause state or city
- Telling the landlord or tenant out loud or by text when the lease or law requires written notice
What happens after the notice
If the tenant moves out on time, the landlord inspects the unit and returns the deposit, minus any lawful deductions, within the deadline your state sets. If the tenant does not leave, the landlord's next step is an eviction filing in court. Changing the locks, removing belongings or shutting off utilities is illegal in nearly every state.
If you'd rather not draft it yourself, our form fills in your state's notice period and produces a print-ready PDF.
Sample 30-day notice to vacate (landlord to tenant)
[DATE] To: [TENANT FULL NAME(S)] Address: [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT], [CITY], [STATE] [ZIP] 30-DAY NOTICE TO VACATE You are notified that your month-to-month tenancy of the premises listed above will end on [MOVE-OUT DATE], which is at least 30 days after this notice is delivered to you. You are required to move out and return possession of the premises, including all keys, by that date. Rent is due as usual through the end of the tenancy. [IF REQUIRED IN YOUR STATE OR CITY: The reason for this notice is (STATE THE REASON).] Your security deposit will be handled as required by [STATE] law. Please give me a forwarding address in writing. [LANDLORD NAME] [SIGNATURE] [PHONE / EMAIL] [MAILING ADDRESS]
Sample 30-day notice to vacate (tenant to landlord)
[DATE] To: [LANDLORD OR PROPERTY MANAGER NAME] [LANDLORD MAILING ADDRESS] Re: 30-day notice to vacate [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT], [CITY], [STATE] [ZIP] This letter is my 30-day notice that I will move out of the address above. My last day of tenancy will be [MOVE-OUT DATE]. Please contact me to arrange a move-out inspection. Send my security deposit to: [FORWARDING ADDRESS]. [TENANT NAME(S)] [SIGNATURE] [PHONE / EMAIL]
How much notice a landlord gives, by state
Minimum written notice a landlord must give to end a month-to-month tenancy without a specific reason. In just-cause states a landlord needs a legal reason, so a no-reason notice does not work for most tenancies.
| State | Landlord notice (month-to-month) | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days | Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b) |
| Alaska | 30 days | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.290(b) |
| Arizona | 30 days | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1375(B) |
| Arkansas | 30 days | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 |
| California | 30 days (cause usually required) | Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(c) |
| Colorado | 21 days (cause usually required) | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107(1); § 38-12-1302 |
| Connecticut | 3 days | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a)-(c) |
| Delaware | 60 days | 25 Del. C. § 5106(d) |
| District of Columbia | Just cause required | D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 |
| Florida | 30 days | Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3) |
| Georgia | 60 days | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | 45 days | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71(a) |
| Idaho | 30 days | Idaho Code § 55-208(1) ("not less than one (1) month") |
| Illinois | 30 days | 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b) |
| Indiana | 30 days | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1(a) ("one (1) month notice in writing") |
| Iowa | 30 days | Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) |
| Kansas | 30 days | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-2570(b) |
| Kentucky | 30 days | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.695(2) (URLTA jurisdictions); Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.195 (one month, non-URLTA jurisdictions) |
| Louisiana | 10 days | La. Civ. Code art. 2728(2) |
| Maine | 30 days | 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1) |
| Maryland | 60 days | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)(2)(i) |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, §§ 12-13 |
| Michigan | 30 days | MCL 554.134(1); MCL 600.5714(1)(c)(iii) |
| Minnesota | 30 days | Minn. Stat. § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days | Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-19(3) |
| Missouri | 30 days | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.1, .4(1) |
| Montana | 30 days | Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-441(2) |
| Nebraska | 30 days | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437(2) |
| Nevada | 30 days | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 40.251(1)(a)(2), (1)(b)(1)(II) |
| New Hampshire | 30 days (cause usually required) | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 540:2, I; 540:3, II |
| New Jersey | Just cause required | N.J. Stat. Ann. § 2A:18-61.1 (no-cause termination barred); § 2A:18-56(b) (one month, exempt properties only) |
| New Mexico | 30 days | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-37(B) |
| New York | 30 days | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c(2) (applied to NYC month-to-month tenancies by § 232-a) |
| North Carolina | 7 days | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14 |
| North Dakota | 30 days | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-15(2) |
| Ohio | 30 days | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B) |
| Oklahoma | 30 days | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 111(A) |
| Oregon | 30 days (cause usually required) | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.427(3)(b) (only during the first year of occupancy) |
| Pennsylvania | 15 days | 68 P.S. § 250.501(b) |
| Rhode Island | 30 days | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(b) |
| South Carolina | 30 days | S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-770(b) |
| South Dakota | 30 days | S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-15 |
| Tennessee | 30 days | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512(b) (URLTA counties) |
| Texas | 30 days | Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001(a)-(b) |
| Utah | 15 days | Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-802(1)(b)(i) |
| Vermont | 60 days | 9 V.S.A. § 4467(c)(1)(A) (no written rental agreement); § 4467(e) (written agreement: 30 days) |
| Virginia | 30 days | Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1253(A) |
| Washington | Just cause required | Rev. Code Wash. § 59.18.650(1)(a) |
| West Virginia | 30 days | W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 (notice for one full rental period) |
| Wisconsin | 28 days | Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3) |
| Wyoming | Not set by statute | - |
Statutes checked October 2026. Cities and counties can add longer periods or require a reason (for example Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Portland and Washington DC). Open your state's page for details and sources. General information, not legal advice.
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Start the formQuestions people ask
Does a 30-day notice have to start on the first of the month?
Not everywhere. Some states let the notice be given on any day, as long as the full period runs. Others require the tenancy to end on the last day of a rental period, which in practice means giving notice before the rent due date. Check your state in the table below and your lease.
Can a landlord give a 30-day notice for no reason?
In many states, yes, for a month-to-month tenancy. A few states and many cities require a legal reason (just cause), and every landlord is barred from ending a tenancy for retaliation or discrimination.
Can I send a 30-day notice by text or email?
Usually only if your lease or state law allows electronic notice. Many states still expect a written, delivered notice. Sending a paper copy as well is the safer choice.
Do I still pay rent during the 30 days?
Yes. Rent stays due through the last day of the tenancy. Some states allow prorated rent for a partial final month, and others do not.
What if the tenant doesn't leave after 30 days?
The landlord has to file an eviction case. The notice by itself does not let the landlord remove anyone or their things.