Notice to Vacate and Ending a Lease, by State (2026)
How much notice a landlord or tenant must give to end a month-to-month tenancy in each state.
Month-to-month vs. fixed-term leases
A fixed-term lease (for example, 12 months) generally ends on its end date; early termination depends on the lease and state law. A month-to-month tenancy continues until one side gives proper written notice. Most states set that notice at about one rental period, but some require more from landlords — especially for long-term tenants — and some cities only allow a landlord to end a tenancy for a listed "just cause".
Giving notice the right way
- Put it in writing, date it, and keep proof of delivery.
- Count the days the way your state requires — many states require the notice period to end on the last day of a rental period.
- Check your lease: it can require longer notice than state law, but generally not shorter for the landlord.
Notice to Vacate: all 50 states and DC
| State | Ending a month-to-month lease |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Either party gives written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. Week-to-week tenancies need at least 7 days' written notice. Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(a)-(b) |
| Alaska | Either party must give written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named as the termination date. Week-to-week tenancies need 14 days' written notice. A landlord's notice must also warn that the landlord may sue to evict if the tenant stays past the termination date. AS 34.03.290(a)-(b); AS 09.45.105 |
| Arizona | Either party gives written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. Week-to-week tenancies need at least 10 days' written notice. A.R.S. § 33-1375(A)-(B) |
| Arkansas | Either the landlord or the tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy by written notice given at least 30 days before the termination date stated in the notice (7 days for a week-to-week tenancy). The landlord needs no reason. A fixed-term written lease ends on its own terms. No statute sets a separate notice period for rent increases; the Attorney General advises giving at least one rental period's notice. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704(a)-(b) |
| California | Landlord: 30 days' written notice if the tenant has lived there less than one year, 60 days if one year or more. Tenant: notice at least as long as the rental period, usually 30 days for month-to-month. Where the AB 1482 Tenant Protection Act applies (after 12 months of occupancy, non-exempt property), the landlord also needs a just cause stated in the notice. No-fault just cause requires relocation assistance. Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1, 1946.2 |
| Colorado | For tenants covered by the for-cause eviction law (generally after 12 months of tenancy), the landlord may not end the tenancy without cause. No-fault grounds (demolition or conversion, substantial repairs, owner or family move-in, sale, refusal to sign a new lease with reasonable terms, or repeated late rent) require at least 90 days' written notice. For exempt tenancies, and for tenant-given notice, a month-to-month tenancy (at least one month but less than six) needs 21 days' notice. Tenancies of six months to under a year need 28 days, and tenancies of one year or longer need 91 days. C.R.S. §§ 38-12-1301 to 38-12-1303; 13-40-107 |
| Connecticut | Landlord: Notice to Quit for lapse of time served at least 3 days before the quit date (quit date should coincide with the end of a rental period). Tenant: no statutory notice period found. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-3b, 47a-23 |
| Delaware | Either landlord or tenant: at least 60 days' written notice; the 60 days start on the first day of the month after notice is actually given. 25 Del. C. § 5106(d) |
| District of Columbia | Tenant: 30 days' written notice, expiring on the first day of a month at least 30 days after the notice. Landlord: cannot end a residential tenancy just because the lease or month ends; may evict only for one of the statutory causes in § 42-3505.01 (e.g., 90 days for owner use or sale, 120 days for renovation, 180 days for demolition or discontinuing housing use). D.C. Code §§ 42-3202(b), 42-3505.01 |
| Florida | At least 30 days' written notice before the end of any monthly period, by either landlord or tenant. Week-to-week: 7 days; quarter-to-quarter: 30 days; year-to-year: 60 days. Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3) |
| Georgia | Tenancy at will (no written lease, or expired lease with landlord allowing the tenant to stay): landlord must give 60 days' notice; tenant must give 30 days' notice. Rent changes for a tenancy at will also require 60 days' notice (Handbook). O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7; Georgia Landlord-Tenant Handbook (DCA, rev. 8-29-24), pp. 13, 15 |
| Hawaii | Landlord: at least 45 days' written notice (120 days if for demolition, condo conversion, or transient vacation rental use). Tenant: at least 28 days' written notice. Tenancies shorter than month-to-month: 10 days. HRS § 521-71(a)-(d) |
| Idaho | Tenancy at will: landlord must give written notice of at least one month to vacate; tenant must give written notice at least one month before the stated move-out date. For residential leases, at least 30 days' written notice is also required before a rent increase or non-renewal takes effect. Idaho Code §§ 55-208, 55-304(2) |
| Illinois | Landlord: 30 days' written notice for any tenancy under one year (other than week-to-week); 7 days for week-to-week; 60 days for year-to-year. Tenant: no statute specifies; the AG says a 30-day written notice is normally sufficient unless the lease requires more. 735 ILCS 5/9-207, 9-205 |
| Indiana | Tenancy at will / month-to-month: one month's written notice. Periodic tenancies of 3 months or less: notice equal to the rental period. Year-to-year: at least 3 months before the end of the year. IC 32-31-1-1, 32-31-1-3, 32-31-1-4 |
| Iowa | Either party: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice. Week-to-week: at least 10 days. Terms longer than month-to-month: at least 30 days before the end of the term. Iowa Code § 562A.34 |
| Kansas | Either party: written notice terminating on a periodic rent-paying date at least 30 days after receipt. Week-to-week: at least 7 days. Tenants on military orders need give no more than 15 days' notice. K.S.A. 58-2570(a)-(b) |
| Kentucky | Non-URLTA areas: landlord may end a tenancy at will or by sufferance with one month's written notice. URLTA areas: either party may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date; week-to-week, 7 days. KRS 383.195; KRS 383.695 |
| Louisiana | Either party: written notice at least 10 calendar days before the end of the month. Other periods: 30 calendar days for terms longer than a month (e.g. year-to-year), 5 calendar days for week-to-month terms, any time before the period ends for terms under a week. La. C.C. art. 2728 |
| Maine | 30 days' written notice by either landlord or tenant (tenancy at will); no cause required. If rent has been paid through a date beyond the 30 days, the notice must expire on or after that date. 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1) |
| Maryland | Landlord: written notice at least 60 days before expiration for month-to-month tenancies and leases for a stated term over 1 week; 90 days for year-to-year; 7 days for week-to-week with a written lease (21 days without one). Tenant: at least 30 days' notice (90 days for year-to-year). Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c)(2)-(3) |
| Massachusetts | Either landlord or tenant may end a tenancy at will with written notice. When rent is paid monthly (or more often than every three months), the notice must equal the interval between rent days or 30 days, whichever is longer, and in practice must expire at the end of a rental period. The default is 3 months' notice when rent is paid less often. The same notice period applies to both parties. G.L. c. 186, § 12 |
| Michigan | Either party: one month's notice, or if rent is payable at intervals shorter than 3 months, notice equal to the rent-payment interval (e.g., 1 week for week-to-week). Termination date need not coincide with a rent period. Year-to-year tenancy: notice ends tenancy 1 year after service. MCL 554.134(1),(3) |
| Minnesota | Either party may end a tenancy at will with written notice at least as long as the interval between rent payments, or three months, whichever is less. For a monthly tenancy, that means at least one full rental period. The AG handbook and Judicial Branch describe this as one full rental period plus one day (e.g., notice by May 31 to leave at the end of June). Minn. Stat. § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days' written notice by either the landlord or the tenant before the termination date. A week-to-week tenancy needs 7 days' written notice by either side. A tenancy with no fixed term is week to week if rent is paid weekly and month to month in all other cases. Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-19(1)–(3) |
| Missouri | Either landlord or tenant may terminate with written notice setting a termination date that falls on a periodic rent-paying date at least one month after the notice is received. Unwritten city/town residential leases are month-to-month. RSMo 441.060.3-.4(1) |
| Montana | Month-to-month: either party may terminate with at least 30 days' written notice. Week-to-week: at least 7 days' written notice. Same periods for landlord and tenant. Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | Either party: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice. Week-to-week: at least 7 days' written notice. Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437 |
| Nevada | Landlord: at least 30 days' written notice for month-to-month (and other non-weekly periodic) tenancies; 7 days for week-to-week; 5 days for tenancy at will. A tenant 60 or older or with a physical or mental disability may request an additional 30 days of possession (not for week-to-week). Tenant: no statute sets a separate notice period for the tenant, but a rental agreement may not require the tenant to give the landlord a different notice of termination than the landlord must give the tenant (30 days for month-to-month). NRS 40.251(1)-(2); NRS 118A.220(1)(e) |
| New Hampshire | Landlord: 30 days' written eviction notice (restricted property requires a statutory good-cause reason; non-restricted property can be terminated without cause). Tenant: 30 days' notice; if the date doesn't fall on a rent due date, tenant owes rent through the next rent due date unless the lease says otherwise. RSA 540:2, I-II; RSA 540:3, II; RSA 540:11, II |
| New Jersey | Landlord: for most residential tenancies, the landlord cannot end a month-to-month tenancy, or refuse to renew any lease, without one of the statutory 'good cause' grounds. Exempt from good cause are owner-occupied premises with not more than two rental units, hotel/motel/guest-house units rented to transient or seasonal guests, and certain units held in trust for, or occupied by, an owner's immediate family member with a developmental disability. In those exempt units, the landlord ends a month-to-month tenancy with a one-month written notice to quit. Tenant: no statute sets a notice period for a tenant ending a month-to-month tenancy. N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1, 2A:18-61.3; 2A:18-53(a), 2A:18-56(b); 2A:42-5 |
| New Mexico | Either party: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified in the notice. Week-to-week: at least 7 days' written notice. NMSA 1978, § 47-8-37(A)-(B) |
| New York | Landlord: written notice based on length of occupancy - 30 days (under 1 year), 60 days (1-2 years), 90 days (2+ years); same notice is required for a rent increase of 5% or more. Tenant: at least one month's notice before the end of the monthly term (outside NYC). N.Y. RPL § 226-c; § 232-a (NYC); § 232-b (outside NYC) |
| North Carolina | 7 days' notice to quit (either party) for month-to-month; 2 days for week-to-week; 1 month for year-to-year; 60 days for manufactured-home lot rentals. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14 |
| North Dakota | Either party: at least one calendar month's written notice, unless they agreed in writing to a longer period. If the landlord changes terms on 30 days' notice (§ 47-16-07), the tenant may end the tenancy at month's end with at least 25 days' notice. N.D.C.C. § 47-16-15(2)-(3), (5) |
| Ohio | Either landlord or tenant: at least 30 days' notice before the periodic rental date. Week-to-week: at least 7 days before the termination date. Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | Month-to-month or tenancy at will: at least 30 days' written notice by either landlord or tenant. Tenancies shorter than month-to-month (e.g., week-to-week): at least 7 days' written notice by either party. 41 O.S. § 111(A), (B), (E) |
| Oregon | Tenant: at least 30 days' written notice. Landlord, first year of occupancy: at least 30 days' notice without cause. Landlord after first year: only for tenant cause or a qualifying landlord reason (demolition/conversion, major repairs, owner or immediate family moving in, sale to owner-occupant) with at least 90 days' notice - or 60 days for an accepted purchase offer if one month's rent is paid with the notice. Landlords with an ownership interest in 5 or more residential dwelling units must pay a relocation payment of one month's rent with qualifying-reason notices (landlords with an interest in 4 or fewer units are exempt, ORS 90.427(6)(b)). Week-to-week: 10 days by either party. ORS 90.427 |
| Pennsylvania | 15 days' notice before the end of the term (applies to leases of one year or less or indeterminate term, including month-to-month) for either party per the AG guide; the statute's 15-day notice-to-quit governs landlord termination. Act § 501(b) (68 P.S. § 250.501(b)); PA AG Consumer Guide |
| Rhode Island | Month-to-month: at least 30 days' written notice by either landlord or tenant. Week-to-week: at least 10 days. Year-to-year: at least 3 months before the end of the year. R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37 |
| South Carolina | Month-to-month: at least 30 days' written notice by either landlord or tenant. Week-to-week: at least 7 days. S.C. Code § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | A tenancy with no specified term renews automatically unless a party gives notice of termination at least as long before expiration as the rental period, but not more than one month. For a month-to-month tenancy, either party gives one month's notice. SDCL 43-32-15 |
| Tennessee | URLTA counties: either landlord or tenant may end a month-to-month tenancy with written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. A week-to-week tenancy needs 10 days' written notice. Non-URLTA counties: no statutory no-fault notice period was verified. T.C.A. 66-28-512(a), (b) |
| Texas | Either landlord or tenant may terminate by notice; for a monthly rent period the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is given. Parties may agree otherwise in a signed instrument. Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 91.001 |
| Utah | Landlord: notice served 15 calendar days or more before the end of the month or rental period. Tenancy at will: not less than 5 calendar days' notice. Utah Code 78B-6-802(1)(b) |
| Vermont | Landlord no-cause, no written lease, monthly rent: at least 60 days if the tenant has lived there two years or less, 90 days if more than two years (weekly rent: 21 days). Written lease ending: 30 days before end of term (tenancy of two years or less) or 60 days (more than two years). Building under contract for sale (no written lease): 30 days. Shared occupancy in owner's residence: 15 days (monthly) or 7 days (weekly). Tenant: unless a written rental agreement or other law says otherwise, a tenant may end the tenancy by actual notice to the landlord at least one rental payment period before the termination date in the notice (for monthly rent, one full month). 9 V.S.A. 4467(c)-(e), (h); 4456(d) |
| Virginia | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date, unless the rental agreement provides a different period. Va. Code 55.1-1253(A) |
| Washington | Tenant: written notice of at least 20 days before the end of a rental period. Landlord: may NOT end a month-to-month/periodic tenancy without one of the just causes listed in RCW 59.18.650 (e.g., owner move-in or sale of single-family home: 90 days; legitimate business reason: 60 days). RCW 59.18.200(1); RCW 59.18.650 |
| West Virginia | Either party: written notice for one full rental period before the end of a period (i.e., one full month for month-to-month). Year-to-year: written notice at least 3 months before the end of the year. W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 28 days before the end of a rental period. If rent is paid less often than monthly, at least one rent period. Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3) |
| Wyoming | No statute — Wyoming sets no notice period for ending a month-to-month tenancy; the rental agreement governs. A periodic tenancy is not implied by law: when a lease ends, a tenant who stays (even if rent is accepted) is only a tenant by sufferance unless a new written agreement is signed. To remove a tenant who holds over, the landlord must serve a 3-day notice to quit before filing an FED case. W.S. 34-2-128, 34-2-129; 1-21-1002(a)(i), 1-21-1003 (Title 1, Ch. 21, Arts. 10 and 12 checked) |
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord end a month-to-month lease for no reason?
In most states, yes, with proper written notice — unless the reason is discriminatory or retaliatory, or you live in a state or city with just-cause eviction rules (for example, New Jersey statewide and many cities with local ordinances).
Can I break my lease early?
Leaving before a fixed-term lease ends can make you liable for rent until the unit is re-rented, but many states require landlords to try to re-rent (mitigate damages), and many allow early termination without penalty for military deployment (federal SCRA) and, in many states, for domestic-violence survivors.
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.