Property management & leasing
Notice to Quit: Definition & Example
What Is a Notice to Quit?
A notice to quit is a written notice from a landlord telling a tenant to leave the property, or to fix a lease violation or pay overdue rent, by a certain date. It is usually the first formal step toward eviction.
What does notice to quit mean?
Most states require landlords to give written notice before filing an eviction lawsuit. The notice type depends on the reason: a pay-or-quit notice for unpaid rent, a cure-or-quit notice for a fixable lease violation, an unconditional quit notice for serious violations, or a termination notice to end a month-to-month tenancy.
Notice periods vary widely, from 3 days to 30 days or more for nonpayment, depending on the state and the type of notice. The notice usually must be delivered in a specific way and contain specific information.
A notice to quit does not by itself remove a tenant. If the tenant does not comply, the landlord must file in court and obtain a judgment. Self-help evictions, such as changing the locks or shutting off utilities, are illegal in nearly every state.
Notice to quit example
A tenant is $1,100 behind on rent. The landlord serves a pay-or-quit notice that gives the tenant the statutory number of days to pay the full amount or move out. The tenant pays within that period, so the tenancy continues and no eviction is filed.
Related terms
- EvictionAn eviction is the legal process a landlord uses to remove a tenant from a rental property, usually for unpaid rent, a lease violation, or the end of a tenancy.
- Month-to-Month TenancyA month-to-month tenancy is a rental arrangement with no fixed end date that renews automatically each month until the landlord or tenant gives proper notice to end it.
- Late FeeA late fee is a charge added when rent or another payment is not received by the due date or the end of any grace period stated in the lease.
- Lease AgreementA lease agreement is a contract between a landlord and tenant that sets the rent, the term, and the rules each side must follow while the tenant occupies the property.
