Which Statutes Demand Written Notice and Which Proof Keeps the File Clean
October 15, 2026
A state-by-state reference for ordinary residential month-to-month tenancy termination. The table identifies general notice periods and principal statutes. It distinguishes notice to terminate a tenancy from notices for nonpayment, lease violations, or eviction.
Scope: This is a research index, not a service instruction. Lease terms, local ordinances, just-cause protections, subsidized-housing rules, and special housing statutes can change the result. Check the current official code and applicable local requirements before issuing a notice.
State-by-state termination notice reference
The table gives general residential month-to-month rules. “Tenant / landlord” indicates different periods. A stated period does not, by itself, establish that a landlord has legal grounds to terminate.
| State | General notice period | Principal statute |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days | Ala. Code §§ 35-9A-302, 35-9A-441 |
| Alaska | 30 days | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.290(b) |
| Arizona | 30 days | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1375 |
| Arkansas | 30 days | Ark. Code § 18-17-704 |
| California | Tenant: 30 days. Landlord: generally 30 days for occupancy under one year; 60 days for one year or more. | Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1 |
| Colorado | 21 days for tenancy under six months; 28 days for six months to under one year; 91 days for one year or more. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107 |
| Connecticut | Notice-to-quit rules apply; timing and grounds require review under the statute and lease. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23 |
| Delaware | 60 days; generally begins on the first day of the month after notice. | 25 Del. C. § 5106 |
| Florida | 30 days before the end of a monthly rental period. | Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3) |
| Georgia | Tenant: 30 days. Landlord: 60 days. | Ga. Code §§ 44-7-6, 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | Tenant: 28 days. Landlord: 45 days. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71 |
| Idaho | Generally one month’s written notice; some residential nonrenewals have longer rules. | Idaho Code §§ 55-208, 55-304 |
| Illinois | 30 days | 735 ILCS 5/9-207 |
| Indiana | 30 days or one rental period | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1 |
| Iowa | 30 days before the periodic rental date | Iowa Code § 562A.34 |
| Kansas | 30 days before a periodic rent-paying date; written notice. | Kan. Stat. § 58-2570 |
| Kentucky | 30 days before the periodic rental date; written notice. | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.695 |
| Louisiana | Residential month-to-month: generally 30 days before the end of the lease month; written notice. | La. Civ. Code arts. 2728–2729 |
| Maine | Generally 30 days, subject to exceptions. | 14 M.R.S. § 6002 |
| Maryland | Tenant: generally 30 days. Landlord: generally 60 days. Local rules may differ. | Md. Code, Real Property § 8-402 |
| Massachusetts | Generally three months or the payment interval, whichever is longer. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12 |
| Michigan | One month or the rent-payment interval, whichever is applicable. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.134 |
| Minnesota | Written notice at least as long as the rent interval or three months, whichever is less. | Minn. Stat. § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days | Miss. Code § 89-7-23 |
| Missouri | One month, generally ending on a periodic rent-paying date. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060 |
| Montana | At least 30 days; written notice. | Mont. Code § 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | 30 days before the periodic rental date; written notice. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437 |
| Nevada | Generally 30 days; statutory protections can limit landlord termination. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 40.251 |
| New Hampshire | Generally 30 days for a tenant; landlord termination is subject to statutory grounds and procedures. | N.H. Rev. Stat. §§ 540:2, 540:3, 540:11 |
| New Jersey | Generally one month, but landlords usually need a statutory good cause. | N.J. Stat. § 2A:18-61.1 |
| New Mexico | 30 days before the periodic rental date. | N.M. Stat. § 47-8-37 |
| New York | Tenant: generally one month. Landlord: 30, 60, or 90 days based on occupancy. | N.Y. Real Prop. Law §§ 226-c, 232-b |
| North Carolina | 7 days before the end of the rental period. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14 |
| North Dakota | Generally one month | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-15 |
| Ohio | 30 days before the periodic rental date | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | 30 days; written notice. | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 111 |
| Oregon | Tenant: generally 30 days. Landlord termination is restricted and depends on tenancy length and statutory grounds. | Or. Rev. Stat. §§ 90.427, 90.429 |
| Pennsylvania | Generally 15 days for a tenancy under one year; 30 days after one year, subject to lease and local rules. | 68 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | Generally 30 days | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37 |
| South Carolina | Generally 30 days | S.C. Code § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | Generally one month | S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-13 |
| Tennessee | Generally 30 days before the periodic rental date | Tenn. Code § 66-28-512 |
| Texas | Generally one month, unless the lease provides otherwise. | Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001 |
| Utah | Generally 15 days | Utah Code § 78B-6-802 |
| Vermont | Generally 30 days; longer notice or other limits can apply. | 9 V.S.A. § 4467 |
| Virginia | Generally 30 days before the next rent due date, unless the lease provides otherwise. | Va. Code § 55.1-1253 |
| Washington | Tenant: generally 20 days. Landlord: statutory cause is generally required. | Wash. Rev. Code §§ 59.18.200, 59.18.650 |
| West Virginia | Generally one full rental period | W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | Generally 28 days, effective at the end of a rental period. | Wis. Stat. § 704.19 |
| Wyoming | No simple statewide month-to-month notice period applies in every case. Review the lease and applicable law. | Wyo. Stat. §§ 1-21-1002–1003 |
District of Columbia rules are highly ground-specific. Landlord termination is generally limited to statutory reasons, and notice periods depend on the ground. See D.C. Code § 42-3505.01.
Official code sources include the California Civil Code, Florida Statutes § 83.57, Iowa Code § 562A.34, and Virginia Code § 55.1-1253.
Written notice and delivery methods
A written notice should state the parties, rental premises, required termination date, and the basis for the action when required. Confirm the notice period, how the period is calculated, and whether it must end on a rental-period date. Keep lease requirements and any required statutory wording with the notice record.
A statute may specify how notice must be delivered. California Civil Code § 1946, for example, allows certified or registered mail for specified month-to-month notices. Florida Statutes § 83.56(4) identifies several delivery methods for certain written notices, including mailing, delivery of a copy, and compliant email. These provisions are not interchangeable state rules.
Use Certified Mail when it fits the governing rule and workflow. Certified Mail tracking and a return receipt can document postal handling and delivery events. They do not establish that the notice was legally sufficient, correctly addressed, timely, or served by a permitted method.
Proof of service and the evidence file
Proof of service is stronger when it connects the legal requirement, the exact notice, the recipient, and the delivery event. Retain:
- The statute, lease provision, and jurisdiction reviewed.
- The deadline calculation and the person who approved it.
- The final notice exactly as issued, including attachments.
- The recipient name and the source of the service address.
- The service method, date, and responsible staff member.
- Mailing receipt, tracking history, delivery record, or proof of personal service.
- Returned, refused, or undeliverable mail records and any follow-up action.
- A retention classification and access history for the file.
Keep failed delivery events in the record. A returned envelope, refusal, or incorrect address can require a further action under the applicable law. Record the decision, owner, date, and any re-service rather than replacing the original record.
File review before service
Before issuing a termination notice, verify the tenancy type, lease terms, occupant protections, local requirements, notice period, effective date, required content, and permitted method. Recheck the official statute when requirements have changed or the tenancy involves subsidized housing, manufactured housing, rent regulation, or a protected occupant.
A reviewable file links the requirement to the action and preserves evidence of what happened. The audit trail framework for legal notices provides a related recordkeeping structure.
General compliance information, not legal advice.