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A notice of noncompliance is a written lease violation notice to a tenant. The notice names each broken lease term and sets a date to fix it or leave. Landlords use it when a tenant breaks a lease rule other than paying rent.
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A notice of noncompliance is a written warning that the tenant has broken the lease, with a deadline to fix the problem or move out. The form is also called a notice to comply, a notice to comply or quit, a notice to quit for non-compliance and a lease violation notice.
The notice describes the violation, points to the lease clause behind it and gives the tenant a choice. The tenant either corrects the problem by the date in the notice or gives up the rental. The notice is often the first written step before an eviction case.
A notice to comply and a notice to quit for non-compliance cover the same ground. The first name stresses the chance to fix the problem; the second stresses the end of the tenancy if the tenant does not.
A notice of noncompliance fits a broken lease rule other than unpaid rent, such as a pet, a sublet or damage the lease forbids. Common grounds for the notice include:
The notice can rest on a broken lease term or on a duty the landlord and tenant statute itself puts on the tenant. In Vermont, the notice covers a failure to comply with a material term of the rental agreement or with obligations imposed under that chapter, under 9 V.S.A. § 4467. A notice that points to a clause the tenant signed, where there is one, leaves less room for argument.
Late rent calls for a different form. A notice to pay or quit asks the tenant to pay the rent due or leave, and its deadlines differ from the ones for other lease violations.
The cure period is the time the notice gives the tenant to fix the violation before the lease can end.
The cure period and the notice period are not always the same length. In Kansas, the lease ends on a date not less than 30 days after the tenant receives the notice if the breach is not remedied in 14 days, under Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-2564. In Virginia, the lease ends no earlier than 30 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 21 days, under Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1245.
A timely fix keeps the tenancy alive in several states. In Virginia, if the breach can be remedied by repairs or the payment of damages and the tenant remedies it before the date in the notice, the rental agreement does not terminate, under Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1245.
In South Carolina, a tenant who cannot finish the remedy within fourteen days keeps the lease if the remedy starts within the fourteen days and is pursued in good faith to completion within a reasonable time, under S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-710.
In Montana, if the noncompliance can be remedied by repairs, the payment of damages or the landlord’s written approval, and the tenant remedies it before the date in the notice, the rental agreement does not terminate, under Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422.
The notice period is the least time between the notice and the end of the lease, and the table lists it for each place FormsPal’s verified state data holds a lease violation rule for, with the statute.
Use the table as a starting point. Read the statute or your state page before you set a date in the notice.
| State | Notice period and time to fix | Statute |
| Alabama | Lease ends no earlier than 7 business days after receipt of the notice, unless the tenant remedies the breach before the date in the notice | Ala. Code § 35-9A-421 |
| Alaska | Lease ends no earlier than 10 days after service; it does not end if a breach remediable by repairs or damages is remedied before the date in the notice | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.220 |
| Arizona | Lease ends no earlier than 10 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 10 days | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1368 |
| Arkansas | Lease ends no earlier than 14 days after receipt if the noncompliance is not remedied in 14 days | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-701(a)(1) |
| California | 3 days’ written notice, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and judicial holidays; performing the lease terms within those 3 days saves the lease | Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1161 |
| Colorado | 10 days’ written notice for a residential agreement; 3 days when the agreement is nonresidential or employer-provided housing, and 5 days when it is an exempt residential agreement | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-104 |
| Connecticut | Written notice naming the acts or omissions that make up the breach; the lease ends on a date not less than 15 days after receipt of the notice | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-15 |
| Delaware | If the tenant breaches a material rule or covenant, written notice and at least 7 days to remedy the breach | 25 Del. C. § 5513(a) |
| District of Columbia | Possession only if the tenant fails to correct the violation within 30 days after receiving the notice | D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 |
| Florida | Lease may end if the noncompliance is not corrected within 7 days from delivery of the written notice | Fla. Stat. § 83.56 |
| Hawaii | Written notice and a time not less than 10 days after receipt for the tenant to remedy the noncompliance | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-69 |
| Idaho | 3 days’ written notice; performing the lease terms within 3 days after service saves the lease | Idaho Code § 6-303 |
| Illinois | When a lease term is in default, no more than 10 days’ notice to quit is needed | 735 ILCS 5/9-210 |
| Iowa | Lease ends no earlier than 7 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 7 days | Iowa Code § 562A.27 |
| Kansas | Lease ends no earlier than 30 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 14 days | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 58-2564 |
| Kentucky | Lease ends no earlier than 14 days after receipt; if the breach is not remedied in 15 days, the lease ends as the notice provides | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.660 |
| Maryland | 30 days’ written notice, only where an unexpired lease for a stated term lets the landlord repossess before the term ends if the tenant breaches it | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402.1 |
| Mississippi | Lease ends no earlier than 14 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied within a reasonable time of no more than 14 days | Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13 |
| Missouri | 10 days’ notice to vacate, only when a tenant for a term of two years or less, at will or by sufferance, breaks a condition of the written lease, assigns the lease without the landlord’s written consent or commits waste (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.030), or allows illegal gaming or illegal drug possession, sale or distribution on the premises (Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020) | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.040 |
| Montana | 14 days for a violation the statute gives no shorter period; 3 days if the noncompliance involves an unauthorized pet or unauthorized persons residing in the rental unit | Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-422 |
| Nebraska | Lease ends no earlier than 30 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 14 days | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1431 |
| Nevada | Written notice requiring performance or surrender; the tenant is unlawfully holding over if it remains uncomplied with for 5 days after service | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 40.2516 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days’ notice, except where the reason is one for which the statute makes 7 days’ notice sufficient | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:3 |
| New Jersey | First a written notice to cease (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1); then, if the tenant continues to substantially violate the landlord’s rules or a lease covenant, one month’s notice before the action for possession | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2 |
| New Mexico | Lease ends no earlier than 7 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 7 days | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-33 |
| North Dakota | 3 days’ written notice of intention to evict before proceedings, in cases under subsections 4, 5, 6 and 8 of section 47-32-01 | N.D.C.C. § 47-32-02 |
| Oklahoma | If the tenant’s noncompliance is material, lease ends no earlier than 15 days after receipt unless remedied within 10 days | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 132 |
| Oregon | Lease ends no earlier than 30 days after delivery; the date to fix is at least 14 days after delivery | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.392 |
| Pennsylvania | Notice to remove within 15 days of service, where the lease is for one year or less or for an indeterminate time | 68 P.S. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | Remedy within 20 days of mailing; lease ends no earlier than 21 days from mailing if the tenant does not remedy | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-56 |
| South Carolina | Lease ends no earlier than 14 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 14 days | S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-710 |
| Tennessee | Lease ends if the breach is not remedied within 14 days after receipt of the notice | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-505 |
| Texas | At least 3 days’ written notice to vacate before a forcible detainer suit, unless a written lease sets a shorter or longer period | Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005 |
| Utah | 3 calendar days’ notice requiring performance of the lease terms or surrender of the property | Utah Code § 78B-6-802 |
| Vermont | Actual notice at least 30 days before the termination date, when the tenant fails to comply with a material term of the rental agreement | 9 V.S.A. § 4467 |
| Virginia | Lease ends no earlier than 30 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 21 days | Va. Code Ann. § 55.1-1245 |
| Washington | Tenant holds over unlawfully if the lease condition remains uncomplied with for 10 days after service | Wash. Rev. Code § 59.12.030 |
| Wisconsin | For a lease of one year or less or a year-to-year tenancy, notice to remedy the default or vacate by a date at least 5 days after the notice is given; for a lease of more than one year, at least 30 days; in both cases, if the tenant fails to comply | Wis. Stat. § 704.17 |
FormsPal’s verified state data holds no lease violation notice period for the states not in the table. The state pages below cover the eviction notice forms for every state.
A complete notice of noncompliance lists the parties, the rental, each violation and the deadline, so the tenant knows what to fix and by when. The form covers these details:
Several statutes name what the notice has to say. In New Mexico, the notice specifies the acts and omissions of the breach, including the dates and specific facts, and the lease ends no earlier than 7 days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in 7 days, under N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-33.
In New Hampshire, the eviction notice shall state with specificity the reason for the eviction, under N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 540:3. In Maine, a notice of termination must indicate the specific ground claimed for it, under Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002.
In Colorado, the notice describes the property and the time when the tenancy will terminate, and the landlord or the landlord’s agent or attorney signs it, under Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107.
A notice of noncompliance is filled out in four steps: pick the right notice, enter the parties, describe each violation, then set the deadline and sign.
The certification of service is completed by whoever delivers the notice. A notice sent by certified mail uses the certification of delivery instead, and the mailing receipt shows the date it went out.
A notice of noncompliance is served by a delivery method the state accepts, and the landlord keeps proof of that delivery.
A repeat of the same violation can shorten the notice or remove the chance to fix it in some states. These rules apply when the same act recurs after an earlier notice:
A copy of the first notice and its proof of delivery show that the earlier violation was noticed.
The end of the notice period leads to one of two outcomes: the tenant fixed the violation and the lease goes on, or the tenant did not and the landlord decides on the next step.
A call after delivery gives the tenant a chance to ask questions. The talk can cover each violation, the fix the notice asks for and the date in the notice.
An inspection after the deadline shows whether the tenant met the lease terms in time. The landlord, a property manager or a person with real estate power of attorney can carry it out.
After the notice period ends, the next step depends on your location, so read your state page before you act.
A notice that ends without a fix does not by itself remove the tenant. In Arizona, a landlord may not recover possession of the dwelling unit by action or otherwise, including forcible removal of the tenant or the tenant’s possessions, except in case of abandonment, surrender or as the chapter permits, under Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1374.
Most problems with a notice of noncompliance come from missing details or unclear wording. These habits keep the notice clear and give a better trail if the tenant disputes it later:
A notice of noncompliance is one of several eviction notices, each for a different problem:
A lease termination letter ends the lease when landlord and tenant both agree. Either side can ask for it, and the letter puts the agreed end date in writing.
A notice to pay or quit covers rent the tenant has not paid. The notice asks the tenant to pay the amount due by a date or leave the property without an eviction case.
A notice to quit for illegal activity covers suspected criminal conduct at the rental. The notice asks the tenant to leave, and the proof it calls for differs from place to place.
Each state page sets out the notice forms and delivery rules for rentals in that state. Open the page for the place where the rental is located.
A notice to comply is another name for a notice of noncompliance: a written notice that tells the tenant which lease term was broken and gives a date to fix it or move out.
A notice of noncompliance is about a broken lease term, such as a pet in a no-pets property or unapproved changes to the unit. A notice to pay or quit is about unpaid rent. Pick the form that matches the problem, and describe that problem clearly in the notice.
It depends on where the rental is. Check your state page to see the period that applies to your rental.
Yes, it is a notice of noncompliance that gives the tenant seven days to cure; in Iowa, the lease ends no earlier than seven days after receipt if the breach is not remedied in seven days, under Iowa Code § 562A.27.
Email or text works only where the statute allows it. In Mississippi, the notice may go by email or text message if the party in breach has agreed in writing to be notified that way, under Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-13. In Florida, the written notice may be e-mailed in accordance with s. 83.505, under Fla. Stat. § 83.56(4).
Write down the date the tenant fixed it, and keep proof of the fix. A written record shows that the tenant complied, and it helps if the same problem comes up again. Good proof includes:
If the tenant disputes the notice, or the situation is complicated, talking to an attorney in your area is a good idea. A template gives you a clear, complete notice, but it cannot tell you how a particular dispute will turn out.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
