A pay-rent-or-quit notice is the written warning most states require a landlord to serve before filing an eviction for unpaid rent. It gives the tenant a set window — 3 to 14 days in most states — to pay everything owed or move out. The exact deadline depends on your state's statute: 47 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions set a fixed period, from 3 days in states like Texas to 30 days in Washington, D.C.
The table below lists every state's pay-or-quit notice period, whether the days are business or calendar days, key conditions like the right to pay and stay, and the statute behind each rule.
Last updated · Verified against each state's official statute publisher
Every state name links to that state's full tenant-rights guide; every citation links to the statute text.
| State | Notice period | Key conditions | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 business days | Seven BUSINESS days (statute says 'seven business days'). Tenant may cure by paying within the period. | Ala. Code § 35-9A-421(d) |
| Alaska | 7 days | 7 calendar days. Only one written notice of default need be given per default; landlord may accept partial payment and extend the date. | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.220(b) |
| Arizona | 5 days | 5 calendar days. Before a special detainer is filed, tenant may reinstate by paying all past-due rent plus a reasonable stated late fee. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1368(B) |
| Arkansas | 3 days | Two-step civil path; the 3-day quit is unconditional (no statutory cure after termination). A separate criminal 'failure to vacate' path (§ 18-16-101) uses a 10-day notice. | Ark. Code § 18-17-701(b); § 18-60-304 |
| California | 3 business days | Per AB 2347 (eff. Jan 1, 2025), the 3 days EXCLUDE Saturdays, Sundays, and judicial holidays; count starts the day after service. Only rent due within one year may be demanded. Local/AB 1482 just-cause rules may add requirements. | Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 1161(2) |
| Colorado | 10 days | Standard residential = 10 days. 'Exempt residential agreements' (landlord owning <=5 units) may use 5 days; nonresidential/employer housing = 3 days. Tenant may cure by paying within the period. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-104(1)(d) |
| Connecticut | 3 days | Grace period first: rent is not 'in default' until 9 days after the due date (4 days for a one-week tenancy) under § 47a-15a; then a 3-day (three full days) notice to quit. The § 47a-15 15-day cure does NOT apply to nonpayment. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23(a); grace period § 47a-15a |
| Delaware | 5 days | 5-day minimum to pay or the agreement terminates. A separate 5-day grace period applies before a late fee may be charged (§ 5501(d)). | 25 Del. C. § 5502 |
| District of Columbia | 30 days | 30 calendar days to cure by paying past-due rent. Tenant retains a right to redeem by paying rent/costs even after judgment. | D.C. Code § 42-3505.01(a-1) |
| Florida | 3 business days | The 3 days exclude Saturday, Sunday, and court-observed legal holidays (a true business-day count). After the period, landlord may terminate and file under § 83.59. | Fla. Stat. § 83.56(3) |
| Georgia | 3 business days | The 3-business-day rule applies to residential leases entered/renewed on or after July 1, 2024. Historically Georgia required only a 'demand for possession' with no waiting period (§ 44-7-50(a)). | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-50(b) (Safe at Home Act, HB 404) |
| Hawaii | 10 days | Act 278 PERMANENTLY changed the period from 5 business days to 10 CALENDAR days. Pilot (Feb 5, 2026 – Feb 4, 2028): if mediation is scheduled within the 10 days, landlord may file only after 20 calendar days from receipt (unless tenant fails to attend/cancels). | HRS § 521-68 (as amended by 2025 Act 278) |
| Idaho | 3 days | Not labeled business/calendar; Idaho courts treat it as calendar days. If unpaid within 3 days, landlord may file for unlawful detainer. | Idaho Code § 6-303(2) |
| Illinois | 5 days | Not less than 5 days; a landlord may specify a longer period. This is the Illinois '5-Day Notice.' | 735 ILCS 5/9-209 |
| Indiana | 10 days | Not less than 10 calendar days. Parties may agree to a different period by lease. § 32-31-1-7 provides an optional notice-to-quit form. | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-6 |
| Iowa | 3 days | If tenant pays within 3 days of receipt, the tenancy is not terminated. Ch. 648 (forcible entry and detainer) governs the eviction action. | Iowa Code § 562A.27(2) |
| Kansas | 3 days | Three consecutive 24-hour periods from personal delivery/posting. If MAILED, add 2 days from the mailing date (effectively 5 days). | K.S.A. 58-2564(b) |
| Kentucky | 7 days | URLTA ONLY — applies only in jurisdictions that adopted KRS 383.500–383.715 (e.g. Louisville/Jefferson, Lexington/Fayette, Covington, Newport, Florence, Georgetown, Shelbyville, Oldham & Pulaski Counties). Elsewhere the 7-day figure does NOT apply. | KRS 383.660(2) |
| Louisiana | 5 days | CRITICAL: a lessee may WAIVE this notice by written waiver in the lease (common in LA), allowing immediate eviction. Statute does not specify calendar vs business days. | La. Code Civ. Proc. art. 4701 |
| Maine | 7 days | Reinstatement/pay-and-stay: paying all arrears, rent due, and landlord's filing/service fees before issuance of the writ reinstates the tenancy. | 14 M.R.S. § 6002(1)(C) |
| Maryland | 10 days | Reflects amended § 8-401 under HB 767 (2024), effective October 1, 2025. Tenant retains a right of redemption before eviction is executed (subject to holdover/three-strikes exceptions). | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-401(c)(1) |
| Massachusetts | 14 days | Tenancy at will (§ 12): a tenant who has not received a similar notice within 12 months may cure by paying all rent due within 10 days after receipt — but the notice must contain the reinstatement-rights language. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 11 (lease); § 12 (tenancy at will) |
| Michigan | 7 days | No statewide rent grace-period statute (grace is lease-driven). Complaint may be filed on the 8th day. Accepting rent generally waives the demand. | MCL 600.5714(1)(a) |
| Minnesota | 14 days | 14 calendar days from delivery. Failure to give it requires dismissal without prejudice plus expungement. Tenant also retains redemption under § 504B.291. | Minn. Stat. § 504B.321, subd. 1a |
| Mississippi | 3 days | The 3-day nonpayment notice now sits in subsection (5)(a) of the current codification (not (3)). § 89-8-13(5)(b) directs the judge to abide by the signed lease terms. | Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13(5)(a) |
| Missouri | No statutory notice period | Value null because no day-count notice period exists — the remedy is demand plus immediate filing. Tenant may redeem by paying all rent and costs before judgment/execution. Do NOT infer a 3-day figure. | Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 535.010, 535.020 |
| Montana | 3 days | Montana sets no statutory rent grace period. The 3-day clock runs from receipt; counted as calendar days. | MCA § 70-24-422(2) |
| Nebraska | 7 days | Nebraska URLTA sets no separate grace period; any contractual grace is lease-based. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1431(2) |
| Nevada | 7 business days | 7 JUDICIAL days (excludes weekends/Nevada holidays; day of service not counted) — commonly 10-11 calendar days. Short-term/weekly rentals: noon of the 4th full day. Service by sheriff/constable/licensed process server. | NRS 40.253 |
| New Hampshire | 7 days | 7-day period for nonpayment. Cure (RSA 540:9): tenant may pay all rent due plus lawful charges, $15 liquidated damages, and fees before the hearing — no more than 3 times per 12 months. | RSA 540:3 with RSA 540:2, II(a); cure RSA 540:9 |
| New Jersey | No statutory notice period | Value null because no notice period exists for nonpayment. Tenant may redeem by paying all arrears plus costs on/before final judgment and for 3 business days after warrant. Habitual late payment is a DIFFERENT ground (Notice to Cease + 1-month Notice to Quit). | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2; 2A:18-61.1(a) |
| New Mexico | 3 days | The 3-day period runs from receipt of the written notice. | NMSA 1978 § 47-8-33(D) |
| New York | 14 days | Raised from 3 to 14 days by the 2019 HSTPA. Where the Good Cause Eviction Law applies (NYC and opt-in localities), a Good Cause notice must accompany the 14-day notice. | RPAPL 711(2) |
| North Carolina | 10 days | Default 10-day window when the lease is silent on forfeiture. Demand may be oral or written unless the lease specifies. If the lease has its own forfeiture clause, that controls. Tenant may pay rent + costs before judgment. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-3 |
| North Dakota | 3 days | The 3-day notice is a notice of intention to evict, not a mandatory cure period; paying rent within the period stops the eviction. | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-32-01(4) |
| Ohio | 3 days | 3-day notice-to-leave is a quit notice; Ohio law does not require a statutory cure period for nonpayment. Day of service not counted; extends past a Sunday/legal holiday. | Ohio Rev. Code § 1923.04 |
| Oklahoma | 5 days | Demand for past-due rent is deemed a demand for possession (no further notice to quit needed). Paying in full within 5 days voids the notice. | 41 Okla. Stat. § 131 |
| Oregon | 10 days | Two options: at least 10 days' notice (given no sooner than day 8 of the rental period), OR at least 13 days' notice (no sooner than day 5). Week-to-week = 72 hours (no sooner than day 5). Rent is not in default until the day after it is due. | ORS 90.394 |
| Pennsylvania | 10 days | Days count from the date of service. The notice requirement may be waived or shortened by the lease. Tenant may 'pay and stay' before judgment/execution. | 68 Pa. Stat. § 250.501(b) |
| Rhode Island | 5 days | Two-step: rent must be 15 days in arrears before the demand; the eviction may be filed no earlier than the 6th day after mailing. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35 |
| South Carolina | 5 days | The 5 days run from the date rent is due (not from service). A single written notice or conspicuous lease language covers all subsequent nonpayment for the term. | S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-710(B) |
| South Dakota | No statutory notice period | No statutory standalone pay-or-quit notice (genuine repeal, not a gap). If the LEASE requires notice, the landlord must honor it. The 3-days-past-due condition triggers the right to file, not a notice period. | SDCL 21-16-1(4) (former § 21-16-2 repealed by 2024 SB 90) |
| Tennessee | 14 days | Repeat nonpayment/violation within 6 months = 7-day incurable notice to quit (§ 66-28-505(a)(2)(B)). | Tenn. Code § 66-28-505(a)(2) (URLTA); § 66-7-109 (non-URLTA) |
| Texas | 3 days | Texas has no separate pay-or-quit cure notice — the 3-day notice to vacate is a demand to vacate, not to pay. Lease may set a shorter/longer period or waive it. No statutory rent grace period for eviction timing. | Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005 |
| Utah | 3 business days | Rare business-day rent notice. Utah has no statutory grace period; the clock runs from service. Tenant may pay the full amount due within the period. | Utah Code § 78B-6-802(1)(c) |
| Vermont | 14 days | The tenant may reinstate by paying rent due through the end of that rental period before the termination date — an effective cure built into the notice. | 9 V.S.A. § 4467(a) |
| Virginia | 14 days | SUNSET: the 2026 amendment (SB 48/HB 15) raising the period from 5 to 14 days is scheduled to expire around July 2028, reverting to 5 days — re-verify then. Landlords owning more than four rental dwelling units must accept payment (incl. late fees) up to 48 hours after a possession judgment to stop eviction (§ 55.1-1250). | Va. Code § 55.1-1245(F) |
| Washington | 14 days | 14 days (longer than most states). Tenant may reinstate by paying the total due within the period. | RCW 59.12.030(3); form under RCW 59.18.057 |
| West Virginia | No statutory notice period | No statutory notice period for nonpayment (genuine absence). Rent is due on the lease date with no statutory grace period. A lease may create a cure/notice right, but the code imposes none. | W. Va. Code §§ 55-3A-1 et seq. (wrongful occupation) |
| Wisconsin | 5 days | Landlord may elect the 5-day pay-or-quit (curable) or a straight 14-day quit (no cure). Repeat nonpayment within one year = 14-day no-cure notice. | Wis. Stat. § 704.17(2)(a) |
| Wyoming | 3 days | Two 3-day elements: rent 3 days overdue AND a 3-day notice to quit before filing. Wyoming has no comprehensive URLTA; the eviction notice is in the FED statutes (§§ 1-21-1001 et seq.). | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1002; § 1-21-1003 |
Periods marked “Varies” are not fixed by a statute we could verify — treat them as guidance, not firm legal deadlines. “No statutory notice period” means the state sets no fixed number, so the lease and general law govern. Local ordinances can add stricter rules. Verified July 2, 2026 against each state's official statute publisher.
When rent goes unpaid, most states require the landlord to serve a written notice stating the amount owed and giving the tenant a statutory number of days to pay in full or vacate. Only after that period expires without payment can the landlord file an eviction case — in every state, actually removing a tenant requires a court order, never a lockout.
In most states, paying everything the notice demands within the notice period "cures" the default and ends the process. Several states extend that right further — some allow payment up to the court judgment or even briefly after. Check the key-conditions column for your state, and the cited statute for the exact cutoff.
Most states count calendar days, but a few count business days only — Alabama and Nevada use 7 business days, and California, Florida, Georgia, and Utah use 3 business days, which excludes weekends and judicial holidays and can nearly double the real-world time you have.
In most states, between 3 and 14 days. Common rules are 3 days (16 states, including Texas and — counted in business days — California, Florida, Georgia, and Utah), 5 days (8 states), 7 days (8 states), 10 days (7 states), and 14 days (7 states, including Virginia under its 2026 amendment). Washington, D.C. requires 30 days, the longest in the country. The landlord generally cannot file an eviction case until the notice period has run.
In most states, yes — paying everything owed within the notice period cures the nonpayment and stops the eviction. Some states extend the right to pay up to (or shortly after) the court judgment. The exact cutoff varies, so check your state's row in the table and the cited statute.
Missouri, New Jersey, South Dakota, and West Virginia have no statute setting a fixed pre-suit notice period for nonpayment — a landlord may be able to begin a court case without first serving a timed notice, although the lease may still require one. Tenants in these states often still have a statutory right to pay and stay before judgment; see each state's row for the statute.
It depends on the state. Most count calendar days, but Alabama and Nevada (7 business days) and California, Florida, Georgia, and Utah (3 business days) count business days only, which excludes weekends and court holidays.
If the rent isn't paid and the tenant hasn't moved out, the landlord may file an eviction lawsuit (often called an unlawful detainer or summary possession action). A court then decides the case — no state allows a landlord to remove a tenant, change the locks, or shut off utilities without a court order.
Eviction Cure Periods
How long tenants get to fix a lease violation before eviction in every state.
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How much notice is required to end a month-to-month tenancy in every state.
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How much advance notice a landlord must give before entering a rental in every state.
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