Pennsylvania Eviction Notice
Create a free Pennsylvania eviction notice with the state's required notice periods built in. Pick the notice type, fill in the details, and download a PDF.
Pennsylvania notice periods
Nonpayment: 10 days · Lease violation (cure): 15 days · No-cause termination: 15 days.
Tenant Name(s)
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⚠ Pennsylvania requires a 10-day notice for a notice to pay rent or quit; the count runs from the date of SERVICE, and some states exclude weekends/holidays — verify before relying on a date. 10 calendar days from the date of service (68 P.S. 250.501(b)). Triggered by the tenant's failure, 'upon demand,' to satisfy rent reserved and due. Pennsylvania has no statutory grace period; any contractual grace period comes from the lease. Days are counted starting the day after service.
Notice to Pay Rent or Quit (Pennsylvania)
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT
Date of Notice: ________________
From (Landlord/Agent): [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME], [LANDLORD ADDRESS]
To: [TENANT NAME(S)], Tenant(s) in possession of: [PROPERTY ADDRESS]
YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that rent is now due and unpaid in the amount of $________. This amount is for unpaid RENT only and excludes late fees, utilities, and other charges unless your state and lease allow them.
You are required to PAY the full amount of rent due within 10 days after this notice is served on you, OR to vacate and surrender possession of the property. Payment must be made to [LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] at [LANDLORD ADDRESS], by cash, check, or money order. If you mail payment, it must be RECEIVED by the deadline.
If you do not comply with this notice within the time stated, the landlord may begin legal proceedings to recover possession of the property under 68 P.S. § 250.501 (The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Section 501 — Notice to Quit).
Only a court can order you to move out. The landlord may NOT lock you out, remove your belongings, or shut off your utilities; doing so is illegal.
This notice is given without waiving, and the landlord expressly reserves, all other rights and remedies, including the right to recover unpaid rent and damages.
How this notice may be served: Per 68 P.S. § 250.501(f), the notice to quit may be served (1) personally on the tenant, (2) by leaving it at the principal building upon the premises, or (3) by posting it conspicuously on the leased premises. No mailing requirement. Counting begins the day AFTER service.
_______________________________________
[LANDLORD/AGENT NAME] — Landlord / Authorized Agent
[LANDLORD ADDRESS]
Date: ________________
PROOF OF SERVICE
I served this notice on the tenant(s) on ____________ (date).
Method of service (use a method permitted in your state — see the service note above):
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________ Date: ____________
Signature of person serving the notice
Email yourself a copy (PDF)
Self-help template, not legal advice. Notice periods, wording, and service rules vary by state and city. You cannot remove a tenant yourself — serve a proper notice and, if needed, file in court.
Pennsylvania Eviction Notice Requirements
In Pennsylvania, a landlord must serve a written notice before filing for eviction under 68 P.S. § 250.501 (The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Section 501 — Notice to Quit). The required notice period depends on the reason:
- Nonpayment of rent: 10-day notice to pay or quit. 10 calendar days from the date of service (68 P.S. 250.501(b)). Triggered by the tenant's failure, 'upon demand,' to satisfy rent reserved and due. Pennsylvania has no statutory grace period; any contractual grace period comes from the lease. Days are counted starting the day after service.
- Curable lease violation: 15-day notice to cure or quit. Pennsylvania's notice to quit is fundamentally a quit/termination (forfeiture) notice, not a statutory 'cure or quit.' The 15-day (lease 1 yr or less/indeterminate) or 30-day (lease over 1 yr) period in 250.501(b) applies to forfeiture for breach of lease conditions and to end-of-term. Any right to cure the breach within that window comes from the lease, not the statute. Used 15 as the default curable-violation figure (residential/month-to-month case).
- No-cause termination (month-to-month): 15-day notice. A landlord ending a month-to-month (indeterminate) tenancy gives 15 days' notice to quit (lease/term of 1 year or less or indeterminate, 250.501(b)). For a fixed term over 1 year, it is 30 days. Fixed-term leases simply expire — the landlord need not renew (subject to fair-housing/anti-retaliation limits). Local ordinances (e.g., Philadelphia) may require more.
Service: Per 68 P.S. § 250.501(f), the notice to quit may be served (1) personally on the tenant, (2) by leaving it at the principal building upon the premises, or (3) by posting it conspicuously on the leased premises. No mailing requirement. Counting begins the day AFTER service.
- Pennsylvania does NOT use a 3/5/7-day pay-or-quit. Nonpayment of rent requires a 10-day notice to quit before filing (68 P.S. 250.501(b)).
- Lease-violation/end-of-term notice depends on lease LENGTH, not violation type: 15 days if the lease term is 1 year or less or indeterminate (includes month-to-month); 30 days if the lease term is more than 1 year (both set in 250.501(b)).
- There is no separate 'unconditional quit' track in the general statute and no statewide just-cause law. The only special case is illegal-drug activity in single/multiple-dwelling or tenement buildings (Section 505-A), which carries a 10-day notice under 250.501(d) with no right to cure.
- CRITICAL for the generator: under 250.501(e) the notice period can be SHORTENED or WAIVED entirely if the lease so provides. Many PA residential leases waive the notice to quit, so the lease must be checked before relying on the statutory default.
- No statewide just-cause requirement, but some municipalities (e.g., Philadelphia's Good Cause/Renters Access ordinances and eviction-diversion program) impose local just-cause/extra-notice/pre-filing rules that may override the statutory minimums in covered cities.
Pennsylvania Eviction Notices by Type
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days notice to evict for nonpayment in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania requires a 10-day notice to pay rent or quit before a landlord can file for eviction. 10 calendar days from the date of service (68 P.S. 250.501(b)). Triggered by the tenant's failure, 'upon demand,' to satisfy rent reserved and due. Pennsylvania has no statutory grace period; any contractual grace period comes from the lease. Days are counted starting the day after service.
Can a landlord evict without notice in Pennsylvania?
No. A written notice is required before filing, and only a court can order a tenant removed. Self-help lockouts are illegal.
Does Pennsylvania require just cause to evict?
Pennsylvania does not have a statewide just-cause requirement, though some cities may. A month-to-month tenancy can generally be ended with a 15-day notice.
Disclaimer
This Pennsylvania eviction notice generator is a self-help tool for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Confirm Pennsylvania and local requirements before serving, and consult a landlord-tenant attorney for contested cases.