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Make your notice to vacate
Pick your state and fill in what you know. The notice uses your state's period and wording and updates as you type. Anything you leave blank prints as a line to fill in by hand.
Everything you type stays in your browser. Nothing is sent to us or stored. This is a template, not legal advice: check your lease and any city or county rules before you serve it.
Notice to Vacate: End of Month-to-Month Tenancy
To: and all other occupants
Premises:
Your month-to-month tenancy of the premises will end on .
You must move out and return possession of the premises by that date. Rent is due as usual until then.
This notice is given at least 30 days before that date.
Landlord:
Signature:
Date delivered:
How delivered:
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy, by state
| State | Notice | When it runs | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 30 days | before the periodic rental date named in the notice | A.R.S. § 33-1375(B) |
| California | 30 days / 60 days | before the end date; 30 days if every tenant has lived there under a year, 60 days once any tenant has been there a year or more | Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b)-(c) |
| Florida | 30 days | before the end of a monthly rental period | Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3) |
| Illinois | 30 days | written notice | 735 ILCS 5/9-207(b) |
| Michigan | 1 month | or one rent period, if rent is paid more often than every 3 months | MCL 554.134(1) |
| New Jersey | Not allowed | Cause required | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1; 2A:18-56(b) |
| New York | 30 days / 60 days / 90 days | 30 days under one year, 60 days for one to two years, 90 days for two years or more, counting time in the unit or lease length | N.Y. RPL § 226-c(2) |
| North Carolina | 7 days | for a month-to-month tenancy | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14 |
| Ohio | 30 days | before the periodic rental date | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B) |
| Pennsylvania | 15 days | for a month-to-month or one-year-or-less term; 30 days if the lease is longer than a year | 68 P.S. § 250.501(b) |
| Texas | 1 month | the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is given, unless a signed agreement says otherwise | Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001 |
| Virginia | 30 days | before the next rent due date, unless the lease sets a different period | Va. Code § 55.1-1253 |
| Washington | Not allowed | Cause required | RCW 59.18.650(1) |
From each state's official statute text, read October 29, 2026. A lease can set a longer period, and some states let it set a different one.
States where you need a reason
A notice to vacate ends a month-to-month tenancy without the tenant doing anything wrong. Some states do not allow that for most rentals:
- Washington requires a listed cause statewide (RCW 59.18.650). The one exception is an initial lease of 6 to 12 months that rolled to month to month, which can be ended with at least 60 days' written notice before the initial period ends.
- New Jersey requires good cause under the Anti-Eviction Act, except in owner-occupied buildings with no more than two rental units.
- California requires a listed just cause, stated in the notice, once a tenant in a unit covered by the Tenant Protection Act has been there 12 months.
- New York applies Good Cause Eviction in New York City and in localities that opt in.
When the period grows with the tenancy
California asks for 30 days if every tenant has lived there under a year and 60 days once any tenant has been there a year or more. New York goes from 30 days to 60 after one year and 90 after two, counting either time in the unit or the lease length. The tool asks how long the tenant has been there and picks the right period. Once a California tenant has lived there 12 months, a property covered by Civ. Code § 1946.2 needs a just cause stated in the notice; in New York City and other Good Cause Eviction localities, covered rentals need good cause (Real Prop. Law § 215).
Before you serve it
- Pick an end date that gives the full period. Arizona and Ohio count it back from a rent date and Florida from the end of a monthly rental period. Count from the day the tenant will actually receive the notice.
- Keep it neutral. State the date the tenancy ends and that rent is due until then.
- Record delivery. Fill in the date and method at the bottom and keep a copy.
- Plan the move-out. Use the move-in and move-out checklist to record the unit's condition when the keys come back.
If the tenant owes rent or broke the lease, that is a different notice: use the eviction notice template.
Starting a new month-to-month tenancy? Use the month-to-month lease agreement template.
Raising the rent instead? Use the rent increase letter.
Need a mutual early termination instead? Use the lease termination agreement. After move-out, send the security deposit return letter.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give to end a month-to-month lease?
It depends on the state: 30 days in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Ohio and Virginia, 15 days in Pennsylvania, 7 days in North Carolina, and one month in Michigan and Texas. California and New York lengthen it the longer the tenant has lived there.
Can a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy without a reason?
In most states on this page, yes, with proper notice. Washington and New Jersey require cause for most rentals, California does once a covered tenant has been there 12 months, and New York does in New York City and opt-in localities.
Is a notice to vacate the same as an eviction notice?
No. A notice to vacate ends a tenancy without any fault by the tenant. An eviction notice is for unpaid rent or a lease violation and has a much shorter period.
Does the tenant still owe rent after getting a notice to vacate?
Yes. The tenancy continues, and rent stays due, until the end date in the notice.