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Pennsylvania Eviction Notice

Quick answer: for unpaid rent, Pennsylvania requires 10 days under 68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b) before an eviction case can be filed. The table and sections below cover the other grounds, the service rules, and the step-by-step process.

Before a landlord can file an eviction case in Pennsylvania, the tenant must receive a written notice that states what is wrong and how long they have to fix it or move out. In Pennsylvania, a landlord must generally give 10 days' notice to pay rent or quit under 68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b).

This template generates a Pennsylvania eviction notice for nonpayment of rent, a lease violation, or the end of the tenancy. You set the notice period so the document matches the current Pennsylvania requirement for your situation.

Create your Pennsylvania eviction noticeRead the full Eviction Notice guide

Pennsylvania notice periods

Pennsylvania eviction notice periods by notice type
Notice typeMinimum noticeStatute
Nonpayment of rent (pay or quit)10 days68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)
Lease violation (cure or quit)No single fixed period: check your state statute before serving.See your state statute
No-fault termination (month to month)15 days (15 days for tenancies of one year or less, 30 days for longer tenancies)68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)

Verify before you rely on it

Landlord-tenant statutes change, and cities or counties can add stricter local rules. Confirm the current Pennsylvania requirement in the statute cited above (or with your local court's self-help resources) before serving your notice.

Pennsylvania eviction notice requirements

Pennsylvania requires 10 days' written notice before a nonpayment eviction can be filed (68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)). The document should identify the rental period, the exact amount owed, and the deadline. Serving the notice too early or demanding more than the statute allows are the two mistakes that most often get these cases dismissed.

Pennsylvania handles non-rent lease violations without a single statutory cure period that this page can cite with confidence. Read your lease first (it may set its own notice terms) and confirm the current Pennsylvania rule before serving, because an incorrect period usually means starting the process again.

To end a month-to-month tenancy without alleging any fault, Pennsylvania requires 15 days' notice (68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)). Be aware that 15 days for tenancies of one year or less, 30 days for longer tenancies. This is a different document from a pay or quit notice: it does not accuse the tenant of anything, it simply ends the periodic tenancy on the stated date.

Do not improvise the delivery. Eviction statutes list the service methods a court will accept (personal delivery, substituted service on another occupant, post and mail, or mail variants), and a notice served the wrong way can be treated as no notice at all. Verify the methods Pennsylvania authorizes, follow one to the letter, and write down when and how you served it.

Keep in mind what the notice legally is: the mandatory first step of a court process. Once the Pennsylvania period expires with no payment or cure, the landlord files an eviction action and a judge decides. Locking the tenant out, hauling belongings to the curb, or shutting off utilities without a judgment is the kind of self-help that turns a strong case into a liability problem.

How to complete a eviction notice in Pennsylvania, step by step

Here is how landlords typically take an eviction notice from blank page to served document in Pennsylvania. Each step protects the notice against the objections tenants most commonly raise in court.

  1. Confirm the ground for the notice. Identify precisely why you are serving it: unpaid rent, a specific lease violation, or a no-fault end of a month-to-month tenancy. The ground determines which Pennsylvania notice period applies and what the notice must say, so getting this wrong invalidates everything that follows.
  2. Apply the correct notice period. Match the period to the ground using the Pennsylvania table above. For nonpayment, that is 10 days (68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)). Count days carefully and, when in doubt, give more time rather than less: a short notice is defective, a generous one is not.
  3. Fill in the notice completely. Name every adult tenant on the lease, state the full rental property address including the unit, and describe the demand exactly: the amount of rent owed and the period it covers, or the violation and how to cure it. Ambiguity in this document becomes the tenant's argument in court.
  4. Serve it by an authorized method. Use a delivery method Pennsylvania law authorizes for eviction notices and follow it exactly. If you post the notice, mail a copy too when the statute pairs the two. Never rely on a text message or an email alone unless the statute expressly allows it.
  5. Keep proof of service. Note the date, time, place, and method of delivery, and keep a copy of the signed notice. Many landlords have a third party serve it and sign a short declaration of service. This record is what you will hand the Pennsylvania court if the tenant claims they were never notified.
  6. Wait out the period, then file if needed. If the tenant pays, cures, or moves out within the period, the matter ends there. If not, file an eviction case with the Pennsylvania court that handles landlord-tenant matters in your county. Bring the lease, the notice, the proof of service, and your payment records.

How this template works in Pennsylvania

Answer guided questions about the landlord, the tenant, and the amounts owed, then enter the Pennsylvania notice period from the table above. The finished notice is ready to serve and download in Word and PDF.

The form, the live preview, and the full guide live on the main Eviction Notice page.

Pennsylvania eviction notice FAQ

How much notice does a landlord have to give before an eviction in Pennsylvania?

For unpaid rent, Pennsylvania requires 10 days under 68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b). Other grounds have their own periods: lease violations follow the current statute, which sets no single fixed period this page can cite, and 15 days to end a month-to-month tenancy (68 Pa. Stat. 250.501(b)).

Can a landlord evict a tenant in Pennsylvania without going to court?

No. The notice is only the mandatory first step: if the tenant does not pay, cure, or leave within the period, the landlord must file an eviction case and obtain a judgment before the tenant can be removed. Changing the locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order exposes the landlord to liability.

What happens if the tenant pays the rent after getting an eviction notice in Pennsylvania?

Paying the full amount demanded within the notice period generally cures a nonpayment default, and the landlord cannot file an eviction case based on that notice. Partial payments are different: accepting one can restart or complicate the process depending on the statute and the lease, so decide deliberately before taking partial rent.

Does the eviction notice need to be written in Pennsylvania?

Yes. Eviction procedure runs on written, dated notices, and the court will ask to see the document and the proof of how it was served. An oral demand, a text message, or an informal email will generally not satisfy the statute or convince a judge that proper notice was given.

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