Outline your Pay or Quit document with our free printable Late Rent Notice template. Get back any unpaid rent from a tenant using our easy-to-use legal products and information.
Last Update March 6th, 2023
Fill forms in a few steps
Save, print, and download
Done in 5 minutes
- Home
- Late Rent Notice Template
- What Is a Late Notice for Rent
- Why Send a Late Rent Notice to a Tenant
- When to Send a Late Rent Notice
- How to Serve a Late Rent Notice
- What to Include in a Late Rent Notice
- How to Write a Late Rent Notice
- Late Rent Notice Sample
- FAQs About Late Rent Notices
Download our professional examples
What Is a Late Notice for Rent
A Late Rent Notice or a Notice for Late Rent payment is a formal way of informing a tenant they have missed a payment.
A Late Rent Notice may also be given for several missed payments.
It serves as a warning to your tenant. It does not automatically begin eviction proceedings or serve as an Eviction Notice.
A Notice of Late Rent lets your tenant know that their nonpayment is now a problem and action must be taken, or the situation may get worse.
After you deliver a Late Rent Notice, the past due rent should be paid back immediately. Depending on the state your property is located, you may even be able to charge your tenant a late fee for the unpaid rent.
Why Send a Late Rent Notice to a Tenant
Even though It is not as formal as an Eviction Notice, it isextremely helpful inrecovering any unpaid fees.
A Late Rent Notice does not necessarily mean you are planning to evict your tenant. It acts as a great way to bring attention to any unpaid rent.
In general, you can expect your tenant to immediately pay you what he or she owes.
However, some tenants do not comply, and you need to take further action. Sending a Late Rent Notice is also useful if this occurs.
The Notice can also be usefulif you need to begin eviction proceedings in the future.
It provides proof to a court that you advised the tenant of late rent. This can considerably help you win a case.
It also ensures that you can begin the legal processto get rid of any squatters on your property.
When to Send a Late Rent Notice
There are different moments, a Late Rent Notice can be used effectively to get any past due rent in your hands.
When is the right moment to use a Late Rent Notice?
5 to 7 days after the due date
If you are considering an eviction
When your tenant does not attempt to pay the rent
If your tenant does not have any intention of paying unpaid rent, then you need to take action.
LawDistrict provides a Late Rent Notice PDF template. Download the document and get back your unpaid rent quickly.
Days to Pay Rent or Quit by State
If your tenant does not comply with your notification, you have the right to begin eviction proceedings.
States have theirown rules regarding the amount of notice you must give a tenant.
If they do not pay the past due rent in that period, you can evict them from the property.
You can review the rules of your state in the table below.
| State | Days to Pay or Quit | Laws |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 days | § 35-9A-421(b) |
| Alaska | 8 days | AS 34.03.220 (b) |
| Arizona | 5 days | A.R.S. § 33-1368(a)(2) |
| Arkansas | 3 days | § 18-60-304(3) |
| California | 3 days | CCP § 1161(2), CCP §1161(3) |
| Colorado | 10 days | § 13-40-104(d) |
| Connecticut | 3 days | § 47a-23(a) |
| Delaware | 5 days | Title 25 § 5502 |
| Florida | 3 days | § 83.56(3), § 83.56(1) |
| Georgia | 7 days (after receiving a Dispossessory procedure summons) | § 44-7-50 |
| Hawaii | 15 days | § 521-68 |
| Idaho | 3 days | § 6-303(2) |
| Illinois | 5 days | 735 ILCS 5/9-209, 735 ILCS 5/9-210 |
| Indiana | 10 days | IC 32-31-1-6 |
| Iowa | 3 days | § 562A.27 |
| Kansas | 10 days | § 58-2507 |
| Kentucky | 7 days | § 383.660(2) |
| Louisiana | 5 days | CCP 4701 |
| Maine | 7 days | § 6002(1)(c) |
| Maryland | 10 days | § 8-401 |
| Massachusetts | 14 days | Chapter 140, Section 32J(1) |
| Michigan | 7 days | § 554.134(2), § 600.5714 & § 554.134(4) |
| Minnesota | 14 days | § 504B.291 |
| Mississippi | 3 days | § 89-7-27 |
| Missouri | none | § 535-010 |
| Montana | 3 days | § 70-24-422(2) |
| Nebraska | 7 days | § 76-1431(2) |
| Nevada | 7 days | NRS 40.2512 |
| New Hampshire | 7 days | § 540:2 II(a) and § 540:3 I |
| New Jersey | Not necessary or 30 days if the landlord has accepted late rent previously | § 2A:18-61.2(b) |
| New Mexico | 3 days | § 47-8-33(d) |
| New York | 14 days | § 711(2), § 753(4) |
| North Carolina | 10 days | § 42-3, § 42-26 |
| North Dakota | 3 days | § 47-32-01.4 |
| Ohio | 3 days | § 1923.02 & § 1923.04, § 1923.04 |
| Oklahoma | 5 days | Title 41 § 131 |
| Oregon | 3 or 6 days | § 90.394(2) |
| Pennsylvania | 10 days | § 250.501(b) |
| Rhode Island | 5 days | § 34-18-35 |
| South Carolina | 5 days | § 27-40-710(b) |
| South Dakota | 3 days | § 21-16-1(4) |
| Tennessee | 14 days | § 66-28-505(a)(2) & § 66-7-109 |
| Texas | 3 days | § 24.005 |
| Utah | 3 days | § 78B-6-802(1)(c) |
| Vermont | 14 days | § 4467(a) |
| Virginia | 14 days | § 55.1-1245(f) |
| Washington | 14 days | § 59.12.030(3) |
| West Virginia | 5 days | § 55.1-1415, § 55.1-1245 |
| Wisconsin | 14 days | § 704.17(2)(a) & 704.17(2)(b) |
| Wyoming | 3 days | § 1-21-1002 & 1-21-1003 |
How to Serve a Late Rent Notice
The details regarding how to deliver a Late Rent Notice should be in the lease agreement.
You can deliver your Pay or Quit Notice in several ways.
These methods include:
Delivering the document in person
Send the Notice via an overnight postal service
Send with certified or registered mail
Review your agreement and your state laws to figure out the best way to send the Notice to your tenant.
What to Include in a Late Rent Notice
If you feel it is time to make a Late Rent Notice, you have to know exactly what to include.
If you forget to put in essential terms or details, your tenant can make a legal argument that leads to even more unpaid rent.
Here is what you should put in your document:
The exact address of the property that is being rented
The full names of the tenants that appear on the contract
The date the Notice is being served
The amount due
Any late fees if you can penalize your tenant for unpaid rent
The methods of payment
The consequences of not paying
Your signature
Make your document with our Notice of Late Payment template. Use it to avoid any mistakes that can lead to further unpaid rent.
How to Write a Late Rent Notice
To write your legal document, it is essential to outline it correctly.
Follow these step-by-step instructions below to write a proper Notice.
Write the full name and address of the tenant or tenants. The address should be the address of the property.
Fill in the date that you deliver the notice
Give the details of the month(s) that rent wasn’t paid and how much the tenant owes you
Specify the choice of time and date when the tenant will pay the unpaid rent.
List the payment methods the tenant can provide you with the past due rent.
Include your name and address and then sign the document
To make the writing process much easier, you can use ourLate Rent Notice template,where you will find a clear and concisely written outline.
All you need to do is fill in the spaces.
Late Rent Notice Sample
Before writing any legal document, it is sensible to review an example.
This gives you a clear idea of how a Late Rent Notice should look before delivering it to your tenant, ‘thus avoiding fatal mistakes.
FAQs About Late Rent Notices
To further understand how a Late Rent Notice works from theperspective of both the landlord and tenant, we have included a FAQ section below.
See the responses to clarify any doubts you may have about unpaid rent and Pay or Quit Notices.
What Happens When You’re Late on Rent?
If you are a tenant and have not paid your rent, then you could face legal problems.
What are the consequences of not paying rent?
Once your landlord serves you a Pay or Quit Notice,you will have to pay or be subject to eviction from the property.
How to Prevent Late Payments?
As a landlord, there are a few ways you can stop your tenant from paying you late. It is important not to bend the rules for a tenant, as it can lead to further unpaid rent.
Here are a few specific things you can do:
Only accept payments in full
Be strict with the due date
Include a late fee in the contract
Set reminders of the payment date
What is Evidence of Past Due Rent?
The purpose of this Notice is to collect any past due rent. It can also be key evidence if you need to evict your tenant.
Sometimes this Notice doesn’t work with certain tenants. In the end, if you must evict, you canuse it as evidence in court.