Eviction Notice Template (US)

A notice is not an eviction — and stating no reason is often not allowed

Serving this notice starts a countdown; it does not end the tenancy by itself. If the tenant doesn't move out and doesn't have a legal right to stay, the landlord's next step — if any — is to file an unlawful detainer or eviction case in court and let a judge decide. A landlord who changes the locks, shuts off utilities, or removes a tenant's belongings without a court order is exposing themselves to liability regardless of how valid the underlying notice was.

A growing number of states and cities — California's AB 1482 is the best-known example, but it is not the only one — require a landlord to state a specific, legally recognized reason in the notice itself once a tenant has occupied for long enough, and some no longer allow a truly no-reason notice at all. Treat "no-cause" as the exception that needs checking, not the default.

Three different notices, not one form

A pay-or-quit notice demands specific unpaid rent and gives the tenant a set number of days to pay it in full or move out — paying the stated amount in full within the window typically stops the process. A cure-or-quit notice identifies a specific lease violation (an unauthorized pet, unauthorized occupant, or similar) and gives the tenant a chance to fix it. A notice to end a month-to-month tenancy — with or without a stated reason, depending on where the property is — simply ends the tenancy on a set date with no cure option. Using the wrong one, or demanding the wrong amount in a pay-or-quit notice, is one of the most common reasons an eviction case gets thrown out.

Proof of service is not optional paperwork

A court asked to rule on an eviction needs to know the tenant actually received proper notice, given how the notice was served, and how many days have passed since. "I texted him about it" is not proof of service. This template includes a declaration the person who served the notice completes and signs, stating the method (personal delivery, posting and mailing, certified mail, or whatever the local rule allows), the date, and to whom it was given — filled in and kept with a copy of the notice, not left blank the way Jotform's version does.

The clauses, explained

Notice type and reason

Identifies whether this is a pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, or end-of-tenancy notice, and states the specific reason where one is required or simply appropriate to include.

Amount owed or violation described

For a pay-or-quit notice, the exact rent amount owed as of the notice date. For a cure-or-quit notice, the specific lease term violated and what curing it requires. Getting either wrong is a common basis for a court to reject the notice.

Deadline to comply or vacate

The date by which the tenant must pay, cure, or vacate — calculated from state and local notice-period rules, which this template leaves for you to fill in rather than guess.

Not a court order

States plainly that this notice does not by itself remove the tenant and that only a court can order that, so a tenant reading it understands what has and hasn't happened.

Security deposit and move-out inspection

Reminds both parties how the deposit will be handled and offers a move-out inspection, without promising a specific return timeline that varies by state.

Proof of service

A declaration completed and signed by the person who served the notice — method, date, and recipient — the element most template eviction notices omit entirely and the one a court will actually ask for.

Requirements checklist

Notice periods, required reasons, and permitted service methods are set at the state and often city level. These two examples show how differently states treat the same notice — check the specific rule where the property is located.

• A notice must state a reason wherever local law requires one

  Some states and cities require a legally recognized reason to be stated in any notice ending a tenancy once a tenant has occupied long enough, and do not permit a true no-reason notice at all. Confirm the local rule before choosing "no stated reason."

  See the California version of this template for a worked example (Civ. Code §1946.1, AB 1482)

• Federal public-housing and subsidized tenancies have their own notice rules

  Properties receiving federal rental assistance (public housing, Section 8) are subject to additional HUD notice and good-cause requirements on top of state law — check HUD guidance and the specific program's lease before serving a standard market-rate notice.

  HUD — Eviction Protection

How to use this template

1. Choose the notice type. Select pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, or end-of-tenancy above the document — the wording and required fields change to match.
2. Fill in the parties and property. Type the landlord's and tenant's names and the rental property's address into the highlighted blanks.
3. Confirm your state's notice period and required reason. Before setting the deadline date, check your state's (and city's, if applicable) required notice period and whether a specific reason must be stated — this varies by tenancy length and by jurisdiction and this template does not assume it for you.
4. Fill in the amount owed or the violation, if applicable. For a pay-or-quit notice, enter the exact rent owed as of the notice date. For a cure-or-quit notice, describe the specific lease violation and what curing it requires.
5. Serve the notice and complete proof of service. Serve the notice using a method your state permits, then have the person who served it complete and sign the proof-of-service declaration with the date and method used.
6. Download and keep a copy. Download the completed notice as a Word or PDF file and keep a signed copy with the proof-of-service declaration — you'll need both if the case goes to court.

Frequently asked questions

Related templates

• Lease Termination and Agreement to Vacate Template (US)
• Residential Lease Agreement Template (US)