Pennsylvania notice periods
A Pennsylvania landlord must give 15 days’ written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy. There is no separate statutory notice period for rent increases; the month-to-month termination notice is the practical minimum. For nonpayment, the landlord must serve a 10-day notice to pay or quit before filing for eviction.
The Pennsylvania rules in detail
Landlord notice to quit at the end of a term or for breach: 15 days for a lease of one year or less or of indeterminate time (including month-to-month); 30 days for a lease longer than one year. The statute addresses only the landlord's notice; the tenant's notice period is governed by the lease (UNVERIFIED statutory rule for tenants). The notice to quit may be waived in a written lease.
No statute governs rent-increase notice for most of Pennsylvania; in practice the 15/30-day notice-to-quit periods are used (Philadelphia requires 60 days by local ordinance)
10 days. The tenant may cure by paying everything owed within the period; after that the landlord may file for eviction.
Serving the notice
- Notice must be in writing. Text messages and emails count only where the lease or statute allows electronic notice.
- The clock starts when the notice is delivered, not when it is written. Mailed notices usually add days; check the statute’s service rules.
- Termination notices generally take effect at the end of a rental period. Served mid-month, a 30-day notice ends the tenancy at the end of the next full month.
- A fixed-term lease ends on its own date; these periods apply to month-to-month tenancies and to tenancies that continued after a lease expired.
Source: 68 P.S. § 250.501(b).
Related Pennsylvania rules
- Late fees: No statutory cap or grace period for residential late fees in Pennsylvania; the lease controls and fees must be reasonable (Philadelphia and some cities have local rules). Late fee calculator.
- Security deposit: Two months' rent during the first year of the lease; one month's rent in the second and later years (no deposit increase required after five years of occupancy); returned Written list of damages and refund of the balance (with any interest due) within 30 days of termination of the lease or surrender and acceptance of the premises, whichever first occurs. Deposit rules.
- All rules on one page: Pennsylvania landlord and tenant law.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a landlord have to give a tenant to move out in Pennsylvania?
15 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy. Landlord notice to quit at the end of a term or for breach: 15 days for a lease of one year or less or of indeterminate time (including month-to-month); 30 days for a lease longer than one year. The statute addresses only the landlord's notice; the tenant's notice period is governed by the lease (UNVERIFIED statutory rule for tenants). The notice to quit may be waived in a written lease.
How much notice does a tenant have to give in Pennsylvania?
Landlord notice to quit at the end of a term or for breach: 15 days for a lease of one year or less or of indeterminate time (including month-to-month); 30 days for a lease longer than one year. The statute addresses only the landlord's notice; the tenant's notice period is governed by the lease (UNVERIFIED statutory rule for tenants). The notice to quit may be waived in a written lease.
How much notice is required for a rent increase in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has no specific statute. No statute governs rent-increase notice for most of Pennsylvania; in practice the 15/30-day notice-to-quit periods are used (Philadelphia requires 60 days by local ordinance)
How long is a pay-or-quit notice in Pennsylvania?
10 days. The tenant can stop the eviction by paying the full amount within that time.
Does the notice have to end on the last day of the month?
In most states, yes: a termination notice on a periodic tenancy takes effect at the end of a rental period that is at least the required number of days after service. Serving on the 15th with a 30-day requirement typically ends the tenancy at the end of the following month, not 30 days later. The calculator shows both dates.