Eviction Notice Template: State-Ready for All 50 States

An eviction notice is not a letter you send to express frustration, it is a legally required document that triggers the court's jurisdiction over your eviction case. Serve it incorrectly and a judge will dismiss your case before you say a word, requiring you to start the process over from scratch. The average eviction takes 3-6 weeks in Texas, 6-12 weeks in Florida, and 3-6 months in California, every procedural error adds to that timeline and to your vacancy losses.

What Is an Eviction Notice?

An eviction notice (also called a notice to quit, pay or quit notice, or cure or quit notice depending on the reason) is a formal written document that a landlord serves on a tenant informing them that their tenancy is being terminated and specifying the reason and any cure period. It is the mandatory first step in the eviction process in every U.S. state, courts will not accept an unlawful detainer or eviction filing without proof that proper notice was served.

There are three main types:

• Pay or Quit. Tenant has failed to pay rent; notice gives them [X] days to pay in full or vacate
• Cure or Quit. Tenant has violated a lease term (unauthorized pet, noise violation, etc.); notice gives them [X] days to fix the violation or vacate
• Unconditional Quit. Tenant must vacate with no option to cure; reserved for serious or repeated violations, drug activity, or states that allow no-cause termination

When to Use This Template

• Tenant has not paid rent by the grace period end date. Use a Pay or Quit notice
• Tenant has violated a lease term. Use a Cure or Quit notice specifying the exact violation
• Tenant's lease has expired and they have not vacated. Use an Unconditional Quit or appropriate no-cause notice per your state's rules
• Tenant is engaged in illegal activity on the property. Most states allow immediate unconditional quit for drug offenses and criminal activity
• You want to end a month-to-month tenancy without cause. Use your state's required notice period (30, 60, or 90 days depending on state and tenancy length)

What to Include in an Eviction Notice

1. Tenant full legal name(s). List every adult occupant named on the lease. A notice that omits a named tenant can be challenged as improperly served.

2. Property address and unit number. Full address including unit number. Errors here are grounds for dismissal.

3. Notice type and reason. State clearly: "This is a [3-Day / 14-Day / 30-Day] Notice to Pay Rent or Quit." Include the specific lease clause or statute being invoked.

4. Amount owed (for Pay or Quit). Itemize: base rent, any late fees if allowed by your lease and state law, and the total. Courts scrutinize inflated amounts; include only what your lease and state law permit.

5. The cure period. The number of days the tenant has to pay or cure the violation. This is set by state law, not landlord preference.

6. Cure instructions. Tell the tenant exactly how to cure: where to pay, acceptable payment methods, or what specific action is needed.

7. Consequence of non-compliance. State explicitly that failure to pay or cure by the deadline will result in legal proceedings to recover possession.

8. Signature and date. Sign and date the notice. Some states require notarization for certain notice types.

9. Certificate of service. Document how and when you served the notice. Courts require proof of service.

Eviction Notice Template, Pay or Quit (Nonpayment of Rent)

NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT

Date: [DATE OF SERVICE]

To: [TENANT FULL LEGAL NAME(S)] Property Address: [FULL PROPERTY ADDRESS, UNIT NUMBER] [CITY, STATE ZIP]

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that you are in default of your rental agreement dated [ORIGINAL LEASE DATE] for the above-described premises.

Amount Due:

• Rent for the period [START DATE] through [END DATE]: $[AMOUNT]
• Late fee (per lease §[SECTION], if applicable): $[AMOUNT]
• Total amount due: $[TOTAL AMOUNT]

You are required to, within [STATE-REQUIRED NOTICE PERIOD] DAYS from the date of service of this notice:

1. Pay the total amount due of $[TOTAL AMOUNT] in full; OR
2. Deliver up possession of the above-described premises.

Payment may be made to: [LANDLORD NAME / MANAGEMENT COMPANY] [PAYMENT ADDRESS OR PORTAL URL] Acceptable payment methods: [CASH / CHECK / MONEY ORDER / ONLINE PORTAL]

Failure to pay the full amount due or vacate within the required period will result in the commencement of legal proceedings against you to recover possession of the premises, past-due rent, court costs, and attorney's fees as permitted by law.

[LANDLORD/MANAGER SIGNATURE]

[LANDLORD/MANAGER PRINTED NAME] [TITLE] [ADDRESS] [PHONE] | [EMAIL]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I, [LANDLORD/SERVER NAME], certify that on [DATE], I served the above Notice to Pay Rent or Quit on [TENANT NAME(S)] at [PROPERTY ADDRESS] by the following method:

• Personal delivery to tenant
• Substituted service, left with [ADULT NAME, RELATIONSHIP] at the premises
• Posting and mailing, posted on the main entry door and mailed by first-class mail to the address above
• Other: [DESCRIBE]

Signature: ______________________ Date: ________

State-by-State Notice Requirements

Landlord-tenant law varies significantly by state. Using the wrong notice period is the most common reason evictions are dismissed on the first court date.

California

• Pay or Quit: 3 business days (Civil Code §1161). Does not include weekends or court holidays.
• Cure or Quit: 3 business days to cure; if uncurable, 3 days unconditional quit
• No-cause termination (month-to-month): 30 days if tenant has lived there <1 year; 60 days if ≥1 year. Under AB 1482 just-cause protections apply in most residential properties after 12 months
• Service methods: Personal service preferred; substituted service + mailing acceptable; posting + mailing (nail and mail) as last resort
• Key statute: CCP §1161, Civil Code §1946.1

Texas

• Pay or Quit: 3 days (Property Code §24.005). Weekends and holidays included unless the deadline falls on one, then extended to the next business day
• Cure or Quit: 3 days for most violations
• No-cause termination: 30 days for month-to-month; lease controls for fixed-term
• Service methods: Personal delivery; certified mail; posting on door (if tenant is absent)
• Key statute: Texas Property Code §24.005

Florida

• Pay or Quit: 3 business days (F.S. §83.56). Weekends and legal holidays excluded
• Cure or Quit: 7 days to cure for noncompliance; 7 days unconditional for repeated noncompliance within 12 months
• No-cause termination: 15 days for week-to-week; 15 days for month-to-month (notice must terminate on the last day of a rental period)
• Service methods: Personal delivery; certified mail; posting if tenant is absent; delivery to a person of suitable age and discretion
• Key statute: Florida Statutes §83.56

New York

• Pay or Quit: 14 days (RPAPL §711). This replaced the 3-day notice effective 2019
• Cure or Quit: 10 days to cure lease violations
• No-cause termination: 30 days for tenancies <1 year; 60 days for 1-2 years; 90 days for >2 years (Real Property Law §226-c)
• Service methods: Personal service preferred; substituted service; posting + certified mailing
• Key statute: Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law §711; RPL §226-c

Washington

• Pay or Quit: 14 days (RCW 59.12.030). The 3-day notice was replaced effective 2021
• Cure or Quit: 10 days to cure; unconditional quit available for serious violations
• No-cause termination: 20 days for month-to-month tenancies <1 year; just-cause required in some jurisdictions (Seattle requires just cause for all terminations)
• Service methods: Personal service; substituted service with mailing; posting + mailing
• Key statute: RCW 59.12.030, RCW 59.18.650

Need Help With Your Eviction Paperwork?

Our trained property management VAs prepare notices, track state-specific deadlines, and document every step of the eviction process.

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How to Customize This Template

Count the notice period correctly: Most states count calendar days from the date of service, not the date you wrote the notice. If you serve notice on a Friday in California (3 business days), the period doesn't start until Monday, so the tenant has until end of business Wednesday. Getting this wrong results in dismissal.

Permitted fees: Only include charges your lease explicitly authorizes and your state law permits. California caps late fees at a "reasonable" amount, courts have rejected fees exceeding 5-10% of monthly rent. Texas has no statutory cap but requires the fee to be stated in the lease. Inflated or unauthorized fees can invalidate the entire notice.

Keep a copy and your proof of service: File a copy of the notice with your proof of service in your lease file immediately after serving. Courts require you to produce this at the hearing.

Don't accept partial payment after serving notice: In many states, accepting any rent payment after serving a Pay or Quit notice waives the notice and requires you to start over. California is particularly strict on this, accepting even $1 after service voids the notice (CCP §1161.1).

Common Mistakes

Wrong notice period for your state. The single most common reason evictions fail on day one in court. California requires 3 business days; New York requires 14 calendar days; Florida requires 3 business days. Using a 3-day notice in New York gets your case dismissed immediately.

Serving notice before rent is actually due. If rent is due on the 1st with a 5-day grace period, you cannot serve a Pay or Quit notice until the 6th. Serving it on the 2nd gives the tenant a procedural defense.

Failing to document service. "I slid it under the door" is not sufficient proof. You need a completed Certificate of Service with the method, date, time, and your signature. Courts routinely dismiss cases for inadequate service documentation.

Related Resources

• Notice to Vacate Template, For ending tenancies without cause
• Lease Termination Letter Template, Mutual or landlord-initiated lease ending
• How to Evict a Tenant: Step-by-Step Legal Guide, Full eviction process from notice to writ
• All Resources, Complete library of templates, checklists, and guides