Landlord & Housing · 50-state reference
How Many Days’ Notice to Vacate? All 50 States (2026)
For a month-to-month tenancy, how much written notice you owe your landlord is set by state law — 30 days in most places, but as little as 7 days in North Carolina and as much as 60 in Delaware, and in a few states the lease alone controls. This table shows the tenant’s notice rule in all 50 states and DC, verified against each statute. Click your state for a free notice letter that cites it.
Last reviewed August 2026 · General information, not legal advice · Each state name links to a free letter generator that cites that state's statute.
Straight answers
Questions people ask
How many days’ notice do I have to give to move out?
For month-to-month tenancies, 30 days is the most common rule, but the spread is wide: 7 days in North Carolina, 10 in Louisiana, 20 in Washington, 28 in Wisconsin and Hawaii, and 60 in Delaware. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Wyoming set no statutory minimum — there, your lease controls. Fixed-term leases usually end on their own end date, though many require written non-renewal notice.
Does the 30 days start when I send the notice?
Usually not. In many states the clock must reach a rent-due-date boundary — notice given mid-month often takes effect at the end of the following rental period, which can cost you an extra month of rent. A few states, like California, allow notice on any day with the final month prorated. Check your state’s row above, and deliver notice so you can prove the date it arrived.
Do I owe notice at the end of a fixed-term lease?
In most states a fixed-term lease simply ends on its stated date with no statutory notice required from the tenant. But many leases add their own non-renewal notice requirement — commonly 30 or 60 days — and some auto-renew if nobody speaks up. The lease clause is enforceable in most states, so read it before you assume you can just hand back the keys.