60-Day Notice to Vacate
A 60-day notice to vacate ends a tenancy with 60 days' written warning. It is required in some situations, most often for landlords ending a longer month-to-month tenancy, and some leases require it from both sides. Tenants can usually give the shorter statutory minimum unless their lease asks for more.
When 60 days is required
The best-known example is California. A landlord ending a month-to-month tenancy must give 60 days' notice if every tenant has lived there a year or more, and 30 days if anyone has lived there less than a year (Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1).
Some other states and cities also require 60 days or more for landlord notices, sometimes based on how long the tenant has lived there. A lease can require 60 days too, and that is common in apartment complexes. The table below shows the landlord notice period by state, and your lease may add to it.
Notice rules and the right to end a tenancy are separate questions. A few states, including California for many units after 12 months under AB 1482, Oregon, Washington and New Jersey, and many cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, Portland (Oregon) and Washington, DC, require a legal reason (just cause), and some require relocation payments for no-fault reasons. This page is general information, not legal advice.
What tenants have to give
Long landlord notice periods usually don't apply to tenants. In California, for example, a month-to-month tenant can generally give 30 days even when the landlord must give 60. Most states set the tenant's minimum at the length of one rental period or 30 days.
The exception is your lease. If you signed a lease that requires 60 days' notice to move out or to decline renewal, you are usually held to it. If you give less, you may owe rent for the gap.
What to include
- Date of the notice
- Names of all tenants and the full rental address
- A clear statement that the tenancy ends, with the exact end date at least 60 days out
- The reason and any required statements, if you are in a just-cause area
- Relocation assistance details, where local or state law requires it
- Deposit handling and a request for a forwarding address
- Signature and contact details
Delivery and counting 60 days
Deliver the notice by a method your state allows: in person, left with an adult at the home and mailed, posted and mailed, or by certified mail where allowed. Start counting the day after delivery. If you mail it, check whether your state adds extra days. Keep a copy and a written proof of service.
Because 60 days is a long window, give yourself a buffer of a few days. A notice that is one day short can be invalid, and starting over costs two more months.
Common mistakes
- Giving 30 days in California when the tenant has lived there a year or more
- Not counting from the date of delivery, or ignoring added mailing days
- Missing the just-cause reason or relocation payment in a covered unit
- Using a 60-day notice to end a fixed-term lease before its end date
- A tenant giving 30 days when their lease requires 60
What happens next
During the 60 days, rent is still due and the tenant keeps full rights to the home. The landlord must give proper notice before entering for showings or inspections. When the tenant moves out, the landlord returns the deposit with an itemized list of deductions within the state deadline. If the tenant doesn't leave, the landlord has to file an eviction case. Lockouts and utility shutoffs are 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 60-day notice to vacate (landlord to tenant)
[DATE] To: [TENANT FULL NAME(S)], and all other occupants Premises: [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT], [CITY], [STATE] [ZIP] 60-DAY NOTICE TO VACATE You are notified that your month-to-month tenancy of the premises above will end on [MOVE-OUT DATE], which is at least 60 days after this notice is delivered to you. On or before that date, please move out, remove your belongings and return all keys to [LANDLORD OR AGENT NAME]. [IF REQUIRED: The reason for this notice is (STATE THE REASON). (ADD ANY REQUIRED STATEMENT ABOUT RELOCATION ASSISTANCE.)] Rent remains due through the end of the tenancy. Your security deposit will be handled as required by [STATE] law. Please send me a forwarding address in writing. [LANDLORD NAME] [SIGNATURE] [PHONE / EMAIL]
Sample 60-day notice from tenant (when the lease requires it)
[DATE] To: [LANDLORD NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS] Re: 60-day notice to vacate [STREET ADDRESS, UNIT] As required by my lease, this is my 60-day notice that I will move out. My last day will be [MOVE-OUT DATE]. Please send my security deposit to [FORWARDING ADDRESS]. [TENANT NAME] [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 tenant have to give 60 days' notice?
Usually only if the lease requires it. State law often lets tenants give 30 days or one rental period, even where landlords must give 60.
Who counts as living there a year in California?
The 60-day rule applies when all tenants or residents have lived in the unit for a year or more. If anyone has been there less than a year, 30 days can apply.
Can a landlord give 60 days' notice during a fixed-term lease?
Not to end it early, unless the lease allows that. A 60-day notice can be used to say the lease won't renew, where non-renewal is allowed.
Can I move out before the 60 days are up?
If the landlord gave you notice, many tenants can leave earlier but may still owe rent through the notice period or until they give their own required notice. Ask the landlord to agree in writing to an earlier end date.
Is 60 days the longest notice a landlord ever needs?
No. Some states and cities require 90 days or more in certain cases, such as long tenancies or subsidized housing. Check the table below and local rules.