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Legal form · Housing · 9 states published

Notice to Pay Rent or Quit

A notice to pay rent or quit is a landlord’s written demand that tells a tenant how much rent is past due and how many days the tenant has to pay it or move out before an eviction case can be filed.

As of October 27, 2026, California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1161 gives a tenant who is behind on rent three days after a written notice to pay, leaving out Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays.1

Florida Statutes Section 83.56(3) lets a landlord end the rental agreement when rent stays unpaid for 3 days, excluding Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays, after a written demand for the rent or possession.2

Georgia Code Section 44-7-50(c), as rewritten by the Safe at Home Act of 2024, lets a landlord file for possession over unpaid rent only after a notice giving the tenant three business days to pay or vacate.3

Updated How we check

Notice to Pay Rent or Quit rules by state

Notice to Pay Rent or Quit: rules by state
StateDays to pay or move outOfficial state formChecked
California3 days1—
Florida3 days2Yes4
Georgia3 days3—
Illinois5 days5Yes5
Michigan7 days6Yes7
New York14 days8Yes9
Ohio3 days10—
Pennsylvania10 days11—
Texas3 days12—
See the pay-or-quit notice rules

$9.95 per document, filled in for your state. Government forms are free on each agency’s website. You pay for the preparation, never for the form.

When to use one

  • Rent is late and you are the landlord or the manager who collects it.
  • You want the amount owed, the deadline and how to pay in one dated notice.
  • Your state requires a written demand for the rent before an eviction case for nonpayment.

Not the right document? It does not evict anyone. Only a court can order a tenant out; this notice is the step that usually comes before filing.

Who signs

Landlord
The owner, or the manager who collects the rent
Tenant
Each adult named on the lease

Have at hand

  • Property address, unit and county
  • The exact rent past due and the rental periods it covers
  • Who takes the rent, where, and the hours for paying in person
  • Whether the property has a federally backed mortgage or a federal housing program

What our pay-or-quit notice covers

  1. 1Notice to pay rent or quit
  2. 2Rent past due
  3. 3Pay or move out
  4. 4How to pay
  5. 5Federal 30-day notice, when it applies
  6. 6If the rent is not paid
  7. 7Signatures
  8. 8Proof of delivery

SimplePaperwork is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We explain public forms and official steps, and you decide what to sign and file.

Where this information comes from

State rules come from each state’s own statutes, agency pages and forms, with the date we read them.

  1. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 1161 leginfo.legislature.ca.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  2. Florida Statutes Section 83.56 (2026), Termination of rental agreement flsenate.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  3. House Bill 404 (2024), Safe at Home Act, as passed by the Georgia General Assembly legis.ga.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  4. Form 1: Notice From Landlord To Tenant – Termination For Failure To Pay Rent (PDF) www-media.floridabar.org · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  5. Notice of Termination for Non-Payment of Rent, form E-TR 3505.2 (Illinois Supreme Court approved form, PDF) ilcourtsaudio.blob.core.windows.net · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  6. MCL 554.134, Termination of estate at will or by sufferance (Michigan Legislature) legislature.mi.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  7. Demand for Possession – Nonpayment of Rent, SCAO Form DC 100a (Michigan courts, PDF) courts.michigan.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  8. New York Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law Section 711 nysenate.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  9. Written Demand for Past Due Rent with Good Cause Eviction Law Notice (New York State Unified Court System, fillable PDF) webfiles.nycourts.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  10. Ohio Revised Code Section 1923.04, Notice - service codes.ohio.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  11. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 (Pennsylvania General Assembly, unconsolidated statutes) palegis.us · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩
  12. Texas Property Code Chapter 24, Forcible Entry and Detainer statutes.capitol.texas.gov · checked Oct 27, 2026 Open the official page (opens in a new tab) ↩