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Lease glossary

Pay-or-quit notice

A pay-or-quit notice is a landlord’s written demand that a tenant pay the overdue rent within a set number of days or move out. If the tenant pays the full amount in time, the tenancy continues; if not, the landlord can file for eviction.

Also called notice to pay rent or quit · 3-day notice

Example

In California, rent of $2,000 due October 1, 2026 is unpaid, and the landlord serves a 3-day notice to pay rent or quit on Friday, October 2. Weekends and court holidays do not count, so the three days are Monday the 5th through Wednesday the 7th, and the tenant can stop the process by paying $2,000 by then. The notice may demand only the rent, not late fees.

In a lease it looks like…

If rent is not paid when due, Landlord may serve a notice requiring Tenant to pay the rent in full or vacate within the period stated in the notice, which shall be no shorter than state law requires.

By state

Nonpayment notice periods run from 3 days in states such as California and Florida to 14 days in Massachusetts, New York and Virginia, and the notice usually has to state the exact amount owed.

Notice to vacate by state

Plain English, not legal advice. Last reviewed September 29, 2026.