Pennsylvania Eviction Notice Law
Pennsylvania's notice period for unpaid rent is 10 days (10-day notice to quit). For a lease violation it is 15 days, with no statutory chance to cure.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
Not legal advice. A defective notice can restart an eviction case; ask a Pennsylvania attorney or court self-help center before serving one. See our disclaimer.
Pennsylvania eviction notice rules at a glance
| Notice for unpaid rent | 10 days (10-day notice to quit)68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (e)-(f) |
|---|---|
| Notice for a lease violation | 15 days (no statutory cure period)68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (e) |
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy (no-fault) | 15 days (either side)68 P.S. § 250.501(a)-(b) |
What Pennsylvania law says
What notice must a Pennsylvania landlord give before filing an eviction for unpaid rent?
For unpaid rent, the landlord must serve a written notice to quit giving the tenant 10 days from service to leave before filing for eviction, unless the lease validly waives or shortens notice (68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (e)) (68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (e)-(f)).
How much notice is required for a lease violation in Pennsylvania?
For a lease violation, the landlord must serve a notice to quit giving 15 days to leave if the lease is one year or less (or indefinite) and 30 days if the lease is longer than one year; the statute gives no right to cure (68 P.S. § 250.501(b)) (68 P.S. § 250.501(b), (e)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Pennsylvania?
To end a month-to-month tenancy, a landlord must serve written notice at least 15 days before the end of the rental period, and the Attorney General advises tenants to give the same 15 days (68 P.S. § 250.501(b)) (68 P.S. § 250.501(a)-(b)).
How Pennsylvania compares
30 of 49 verified jurisdictions use a shorter unpaid-rent notice.
None of Pennsylvania's 6 neighbors follows the same rule.
| Unpaid rent · lease violation | States |
|---|---|
| 10 days · 15 days | Pennsylvania |
| 7 days · 7 days, with cure | Delaware |
| 10 days · 30 days | Maryland |
| No statewide rule · 30 days, with cure | New Jersey |
| 14 days · 10 days, with cure | New York |
| 3 days · 30 days, with cure | Ohio |
| No statewide rule · no statewide rule | West Virginia |
Local rules in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia adds its own rules in Phila. Code ch. 9-800: landlords must give 30 days' written notice stating good cause to terminate or not renew leases shorter than one year (including month-to-month), and since Dec. 2025 tenants may pay a first-year deposit above one month's rent in installments (Bill 250044-A; landlords with 2 or fewer units exempt). Pittsburgh and other cities have rental registration/licensing rules.
Recent changes in Pennsylvania
- Squatters are not 'tenants' (no notice to quit) (effective ): The Landlord and Tenant Act now defines a tenant as someone occupying with the owner's express or implied consent, for example under a lease or where the owner accepted rent. The notice-to-quit section and the Act as a whole do not apply to someone who is not, and never was, a tenant. Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 §§ 102, 501(g), 603 (68 P.S. §§ 250.102, 250.501(g)), SB 1236 bill history (2023-24)