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Notice of Non-Renewal of Lease: Laws in All 50 States

Last updated on: Oct 16, 2026

Published on: Feb 28, 2024

Deciding not to renew a tenant's lease is a normal part of owning a rental. You might be selling, moving back in, renovating, or ready for a different tenant. The rules for the notice vary by state: some states require no notice at all when a lease ends, others require 60 or 90 days, and a growing list of states and cities don't let you end a tenancy without a reason the law recognizes.

This guide explains what a notice of non-renewal is, how much notice each state requires, which states require a reason, and what to put in the letter, with a sample you can adapt. It reflects state statutes as of October 2026 and is general information, not legal advice. Local ordinances can add requirements, so confirm the rules for your property with an attorney licensed in your state before you send a notice.

The short answer

Fixed-term leases: in most states, a lease with an end date simply ends, and state law doesn't require the landlord to give notice. Your lease may still require it. Delaware, Maryland, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (for landlords with more than four units) are among the states that do set a notice period.
Month-to-month tenancies: most states require 30 days' or one month's written notice. A few require less (North Carolina 7 days, Utah and Pennsylvania 15) and some require more (Delaware, Georgia, and Maryland 60; New York up to 90).
Some places require a reason. California, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, and Washington, D.C. limit non-renewals to causes listed in the law for most tenancies, and New York has similar rules in New York City and towns that opt in.
Put it in writing and keep proof of delivery. Most states require written notice, and a notice that's late or served the wrong way can extend the tenancy.

What is a notice of non-renewal of lease?

A notice of non-renewal of lease is a written notice from a landlord to a tenant (or from a tenant to a landlord) saying the lease won't be renewed and the tenancy will end on a specific date. It isn't an eviction notice. A non-renewal ends the tenancy on schedule, while an eviction ends it early because of a problem such as unpaid rent, and eviction notices follow separate rules.

How the notice works depends on the type of tenancy:

Fixed-term lease: a lease with a set end date, such as a 12-month lease. In most states it ends on that date without any notice, though many leases require one anyway, and some states convert the lease to month-to-month if neither side gives notice.
Month-to-month tenancy: a tenancy that renews each month until one side ends it. It always takes notice to end, and the state sets the minimum.

Even in states with no statutory requirement, sending a non-renewal notice 30 to 60 days ahead is good practice. It gives the tenant time to find a new home, makes the move-out date clear (most states' security deposit return deadlines count from it), and gives you a record if anything is disputed later.

States that require a reason to end a tenancy

In most states, a landlord can decline to renew a lease for any reason that isn't discriminatory or retaliatory. In these states, most tenancies can end only for a reason listed in the law (often called "just cause" or "good cause"):

California: after a tenant has lived in the unit 12 months, at properties covered by the Tenant Protection Act. Many single-family homes and condos owned by individuals are exempt if the lease includes the required exemption notice. No-fault reasons, such as an owner moving in, require relocation assistance equal to one month's rent.
Colorado: after 12 months, under a 2024 law. No-fault reasons, such as selling the home or an owner moving in, require 90 days' written notice. Owner-occupied single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes are exempt.
New Hampshire: for most rentals. Owners of three or fewer single-family homes and owner-occupied buildings with four or fewer units are exempt.
New Jersey: for most rentals, under the Anti-Eviction Act. The main exemption is an owner-occupied building with no more than two rental units.
Oregon: after the first year of occupancy. Qualifying landlord reasons, such as selling to a buyer who will live there, require 90 days' notice and often a relocation payment of one month's rent.
Washington: for most tenancies since 2021. Notice periods depend on the cause, such as 90 days for an owner move-in or sale.
Washington, D.C.: for most rentals, including single-family homes. A lease ending is not, by itself, a reason to end the tenancy.
New York: in New York City and in towns that have opted into the Good Cause Eviction Law. Landlords with 10 or fewer units statewide are exempt.
Connecticut: only for tenants who are 62 or older or have a disability, in buildings with five or more units.

Several cities add their own rules on top of state law, including Seattle, Philadelphia, and Chicago (which requires longer notice depending on how long the tenant has lived there). Check local ordinances for your property's address.

Map of states that require just cause to end or not renew most residential tenancies.

Notice of non-renewal requirements by state

The table shows the minimum notice a landlord must give under state law. Your lease can require more notice than the statute, and if it does, follow the lease. Where the law ties the notice to a rent due date or the end of a rental period, count backward from that date.

State	Ending a month-to-month tenancy	Ending a fixed-term lease	Reason required?
Alabama	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Alaska	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Arizona	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Arkansas	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
California	30 days if the tenant has lived there under 1 year; 60 days if 1 year or more	No set notice, but a stated just cause is needed after 12 months at covered properties	Yes, after 12 months (many single-family homes and condos owned by individuals are exempt if the lease includes the required notice)
Colorado	Covered tenancies: cause required, 90 days' notice for no-fault reasons. Exempt properties: 21 days	Covered tenancies: cause required, 90 days' notice for no-fault reasons. Exempt properties: no notice	Yes, after 12 months (owner-occupied single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes are exempt)
Connecticut	Ends at the end of a rental month; then a notice to quit of at least 3 days, served by a state marshal or other proper officer	No advance notice; notice to quit after the lease ends	Only for tenants 62+ or with a disability in buildings of 5+ units
Delaware	60 days' written notice	60 days' written notice before the lease ends (otherwise a 1-year+ lease converts to month-to-month)	No
District of Columbia	Not allowed without a reason listed in the law	Lease expiration is not a reason to end a tenancy	Yes, for most rentals, including single-family homes
Florida	30 days' written notice before the end of a monthly period	No notice unless the lease requires it	No (cities and counties can't add their own rules)
Georgia	60 days' notice	No notice required by statute	No
Hawaii	45 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Idaho	1 month's written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Illinois	30 days' written notice	No notice required by state law (Chicago: 30, 60, or 120 days depending on length of tenancy)	No
Indiana	1 month's written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Iowa	30 days' written notice	Statute is unclear; giving 30 days' written notice is the safe approach	No
Kansas	30 days' written notice, ending on a rent due date	No notice required by statute	No
Kentucky	30 days' written notice in cities and counties that adopted the URLTA; 1 month elsewhere	No notice required by statute	No
Louisiana	Written notice at least 10 days before the end of the month	No notice required, but if the tenant stays a week past the end date without objection, the lease renews month-to-month	No
Maine	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Maryland	60 days' written notice	60 days' written notice before the lease ends	No
Massachusetts	30 days or one full rental period, whichever is longer	No notice required by statute	No
Michigan	1 month (one full rental period)	No notice required by statute	No
Minnesota	One full rental period (up to 3 months)	Only if the lease requires it; the landlord's notice can't be shorter than the tenant's	No
Mississippi	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Missouri	1 month's written notice, ending on a rent due date	No notice required by statute	No
Montana	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Nebraska	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Nevada	30 days' notice (tenants 60+ or with a disability can ask for 30 more days)	Serve the 30-day notice before the lease ends	No
New Hampshire	30 days' written notice; most rentals also need a stated cause	For most rentals, 60 days' written notice if the lease was 12+ months	Yes, for most rentals (exempt: owners of 3 or fewer single-family homes, owner-occupied buildings of 4 or fewer units)
New Jersey	Not allowed without a cause listed in the law (exempt owner-occupied buildings with 2 or fewer rental units: 1 month)	Lease expiration is not a reason to end a tenancy	Yes (Anti-Eviction Act)
New Mexico	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
New York	30, 60, or 90 days' written notice, depending on how long the tenant has lived there	Same 30, 60, or 90 days' written notice	In New York City and towns that opt in to the Good Cause Eviction Law (landlords with 10 or fewer units are exempt)
North Carolina	7 days' notice	No notice required by statute	No
North Dakota	1 calendar month's written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Ohio	30 days' notice before a rent due date	No notice required by statute	No
Oklahoma	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Oregon	First year: 30 days' written notice. After the first year: only for cause or a qualifying landlord reason, with 90 days' notice	After the first year, the lease converts to month-to-month unless there's a qualifying reason	Yes, after the first year of occupancy
Pennsylvania	15 days' written notice (30 days if the lease was longer than 1 year)	15 or 30 days' written notice, unless the lease waives it	No (Philadelphia has a good-cause ordinance)
Rhode Island	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
South Carolina	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
South Dakota	1 month's notice	No notice required by statute	No
Tennessee	30 days' written notice	No notice required by statute	No
Texas	1 month's notice, unless the lease sets a different period	No notice required by statute	No
Utah	15 days' notice before the end of a rental period	No notice required by statute	No
Vermont	Written lease: 30 days (tenancy of 2 years or less) or 60 days (longer). No written lease: 60 or 90 days	30 days' written notice before the lease ends (60 days if the tenancy is longer than 2 years)	No
Virginia	30 days' written notice before the next rent due date	Landlords with more than 4 units: 60 days' written notice	No
Washington	Not allowed without a listed cause (for example, 90 days for owner move-in or sale, 60 days for other legitimate business reasons)	Some leases can end at expiration with 60 days' notice; otherwise the lease converts to month-to-month and cause is required	Yes
West Virginia	One full rental period	No notice required by statute	No
Wisconsin	28 days' written notice, ending at the end of a rental period	No notice required by statute	No
Wyoming	No statutory period; one full rental period is customary	No notice required by statute	No

Summarized from state statutes as of October 2026. Cities and counties may add requirements. Confirm current law with an attorney licensed in your state.

What to include in a notice of non-renewal

A landlord's non-renewal notice is usually short. It should include:

The date the notice is written and delivered
The tenant's name and the property address
The date the lease or tenancy ends and the date the tenant must move out
A clear statement that the lease will not be renewed
The reason, if your state or city requires one (in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, the notice must state the cause)
Move-out details: how to return keys, how to schedule the final inspection, and a request for a forwarding address for the security deposit
Any disclosures your state requires. Nevada notices must tell tenants who are 60 or older or have a disability that they can ask for more time, and Maine notices must tell tenants they can contest the termination in court.
Your name, signature, and contact information

Sample notice of non-renewal letter

Adapt this template to your situation and have it checked against your state's requirements before you send it.

[Date]

[Tenant name(s)]

[Property address]

Dear [Tenant name(s)],

This letter is notice that your lease for [property address], which ends on [lease end date], will not be renewed. Your tenancy will end on [lease end date], and the home must be vacated by [time] on that date.

[If your state or city requires a reason: The reason for this non-renewal is [reason].]

Before you move out, please contact me to schedule a move-out inspection, and send me your forwarding address in writing so I can return your security deposit, minus any lawful deductions, within the time required by state law. Please return all keys and access devices to [location or method] by [date].

Thank you for renting with us. If you have questions, you can reach me at [phone] or [email].

Sincerely,

[Landlord name]

[Signature]

How to deliver the notice

States set different rules for how notice must be delivered, such as personal delivery, certified mail, or posting at the property. Connecticut requires a notice to quit to be served by a state marshal or other proper officer, and Washington, D.C. requires certain notices to be filed with the Rent Administrator. Whatever method you use, keep a copy of the notice and proof of when and how it was delivered. If a notice arrives late, many states push the end date back until the full notice period has run.

When a tenant gives notice

Tenants usually have to give notice too. For month-to-month tenancies, most states require the same notice from tenants as from landlords, though a few set different periods: in Georgia, tenants give 30 days while landlords give 60, and in Hawaii, tenants give 28 days versus 45. For fixed-term leases, the lease controls. A tenant's notice should include the move-out date, a forwarding address, and the date it was given.

Plan the turnover before you send the notice

Plan for the next tenant before the current one leaves, since ending a lease usually means some vacancy. Across Nomad's platform, the median time between tenants is 30 days per turnover, but about 1 in 4 turnovers takes 60 days or more (Nomad platform data, 2026). The three financial risks landlords underestimate breaks down what that costs.

Timing can shorten that gap. Across roughly 7,800 leases signed through Nomad, move-ins bunch up from June through August and thin out from November through January (Nomad leasing data, 2026). A non-renewal that frees the home up in late spring or early summer lands your listing in the busiest stretch of the year. Our guide to rent seasonality covers how to use that, and two lease date decisions explains how to set the next lease's end date so future turnovers land in peak season too.

A few steps that keep the gap short:

Schedule a pre-move-out walkthrough so repairs can be lined up in advance.
Check your rental price against the current market before you relist.
Plan the utility transfer for move-out day.
Know your state's security deposit return deadline, which starts when the tenant moves out.

How Nomad handles this: On Nomad, you decide whether to renew a lease. When a home comes back on the market, Nomad's Screening & Leasing runs a 10-point screen on new applicants and generates a state-specific lease, and you choose the next tenant.

Non-renewal, discrimination, and retaliation

Even where no reason is required, a non-renewal can't be based on a protected characteristic under fair housing law, and most states prohibit non-renewals that retaliate against a tenant for asserting their rights, such as requesting repairs or reporting a code violation. The federal protected classes are race, color, religion, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability, and many states and cities add more. Our guide to fair housing protected classes by state lists them. Keeping a written, consistent reason for each non-renewal, even when one isn't required, makes it easier to show the decision was lawful.

Frequently asked questions

Does a landlord have to give notice if they're not renewing a lease?

In most states, no: a fixed-term lease ends on its end date without any notice required by law. Delaware, Maryland, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (for landlords with more than four units) are exceptions that require notice, and many leases require notice even where the state doesn't.

How much notice does a landlord have to give to not renew a lease?

For month-to-month tenancies, most states require 30 days or one month. Fixed-term leases often need no statutory notice, but some states require 30 to 90 days. New York, for example, requires 30, 60, or 90 days depending on how long the tenant has lived there, and Delaware and Maryland require 60.

Can a landlord refuse to renew a lease for no reason?

In most states, yes, as long as the decision isn't discriminatory or retaliatory. In California, Colorado, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington, Washington, D.C., and parts of New York, most tenancies can end only for a reason listed in the law.

Does a notice of non-renewal have to be in writing?

Most states require written notice, and it's the safer choice everywhere. A written notice with proof of delivery shows when the notice was given, which matters if the tenant disputes the move-out date.

What happens if a tenant doesn't move out after a non-renewal notice?

A tenant who stays after the tenancy ends is holding over. The landlord generally has to go through the state's eviction process to regain possession and can't change the locks or remove belongings. Many states let landlords recover extra rent or damages from a tenant who holds over in bad faith.

Can a landlord accept rent after sending a non-renewal notice?

It can cause problems. In some states, accepting rent for a period after the tenancy ends can create a new month-to-month tenancy or waive the notice. Check your state's rules, and get any agreement to extend the move-out date in writing.

Is a notice of non-renewal the same as an eviction notice?

No. A non-renewal notice ends a tenancy at the end of its term. An eviction notice ends it early for a reason such as unpaid rent or a lease violation, and starts a separate legal process with its own notice periods.