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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 4th, 2026
Reviewed by John Roach, Esq.
Also Known As
Rent Arrears Notice
Overdue Rent Letter
Past Due Rent Notification
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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.
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.
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. This can also be used as evidence, if necessary, should you need to later terminate a lease
The Notice can also be useful if 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 process to get rid of any squatters on your property.
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?
If your tenant does not have any intention of paying unpaid rent, then you need to take action.
In general, it is wise to issue a late rent notice as soon as possible to ensure that the tenant remembers that rent is due. Prompt action can show a tenant that the landlord is paying attention and cares about the rental agreement.
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 |
Some cities have stricter regulations in place as well. It is important for landlords to check with the municipality their property is located in to determine if there are any more stringent requirements for eviction or late rent notices.
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:
Review your agreement and your state laws to figure out the best way to send the Notice to your tenant.
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:
Again, it is important to consult local rules and regulations in addition to these important items since some states require specific language in the notice including information about how to access legal aid or rent help resources.
Make your document with our Notice of Late Payment template. Use it to avoid any mistakes that can lead to further unpaid rent.
To write your legal document, it is essential to outline it correctly.
Follow these step-by-step instructions below to write a proper Notice.
To make the writing process much easier, you can use our Late Rent Notice template, where you will find a clear and concisely written outline.
All you need to do is fill in the spaces.
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.
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.
An eviction can seriously impact a tenant’s housing record and can have significant negative repercussions on their ability to find housing in the future.
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:
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.
