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California Notice to Pay Rent or Quit

Quick answer: for unpaid rent, California requires 3 days under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2) (excluding weekends and judicial holidays) 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.

A notice to pay or quit is the formal demand a California landlord must serve before starting a nonpayment eviction. In California, a landlord must generally give 3 days' notice to pay rent or quit under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2).

Fill in the rent owed, the rental period it covers, and the deadline, and download a California pay or quit notice ready to serve, in Word and PDF.

Create your California notice to pay rent or quitRead the full Notice to Pay Rent or Quit guide

California notice periods

California pay or quit notice period: 3 days (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2), excluding weekends and judicial holidays).

California eviction notice periods by notice type
Notice typeMinimum noticeStatute
Nonpayment of rent (pay or quit)3 days (excluding weekends and judicial holidays)Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2)
Lease violation (cure or quit)3 days (excluding weekends and judicial holidays)Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(3)
No-fault termination (month to month)30 days (60 days once every tenant has lived in the unit for a year or more; statewide just-cause rules may also apply)Cal. Civ. Code 1946.1

Verify before you rely on it

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

California notice to pay rent or quit requirements

For unpaid rent, California law sets the notice period at 3 days (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2)). The notice must tell the tenant how much rent is owed and give them the full statutory period to pay it or move out. One nuance to keep in mind: excluding weekends and judicial holidays. If the tenant pays everything demanded within the period, the nonpayment ground normally disappears and the landlord cannot file on that notice.

If the tenant breached another lease term (an unauthorized occupant, property damage, a prohibited pet), California gives them 3 days to cure the violation or move out under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(3). Keep in mind that excluding weekends and judicial holidays. Vague notices are the classic weak point here: name the clause breached and the facts, with dates.

To end a month-to-month tenancy without alleging any fault, California requires 30 days' notice (Cal. Civ. Code 1946.1). Be aware that 60 days once every tenant has lived in the unit for a year or more; statewide just-cause rules may also apply. 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 California 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 California 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 notice to pay rent or quit in California, step by step

Here is how landlords typically take a pay or quit notice from blank page to served document in California. 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 California notice period applies and what the notice must say, so getting this wrong invalidates everything that follows.
  2. Apply the correct notice period. For unpaid rent in California, that means 3 days (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2)). Count the days the way the statute counts them, and when in doubt add a day rather than cut one: a notice that gives too little time fails, one that gives extra time does 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 California 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 California 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 California 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 California

Answer guided questions about the landlord, the tenant, and the amounts owed, then enter the California 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 Notice to Pay Rent or Quit page.

California notice to pay rent or quit FAQ

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

For unpaid rent, California requires 3 days under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(2) (excluding weekends and judicial holidays). Other grounds have their own periods: 3 days to cure a lease violation (Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(3)), and 30 days to end a month-to-month tenancy (Cal. Civ. Code 1946.1).

Can a landlord evict a tenant in California 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 after receiving a pay or quit notice in California?

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.

How long does a tenant have to fix a lease violation in California?

California gives the tenant 3 days under Cal. Civ. Proc. Code 1161(3) (excluding weekends and judicial holidays). The notice must describe the violation clearly enough for the tenant to know what compliance looks like. If the violation is cured within the period, the tenancy continues.

Notice to Pay Rent or Quit in other states