The short version: Month-to-month termination notice periods range from 7 days (North Carolina) to 90 days (Oregon for landlords). Most states require 30 days. 4 jurisdictions require just cause to terminate any tenancy. Every state allows early termination for military deployment under the federal SCRA, and most allow it for domestic violence. We compiled termination rules for every state.
Lease termination is where landlord-tenant law gets complicated fast. Fixed-term leases end on their terms, but month-to-month tenancies require specific notice periods that vary by state. Some states also require landlords to have a legal reason (just cause) to end a tenancy at all.
We pulled termination data from our 50-state legal database and compared the rules.
Key Findings
1
Month-to-month notice periods range from 7 to 90 days. North Carolina requires only 7 days. Oregon requires landlords to give 90 days. The most common requirement is 30 days.
2
4 jurisdictions require just cause for all terminations. DC, New Jersey, Oregon (after 12 months), and Washington. In these states, a landlord cannot end a tenancy simply because the lease expired.
3
Landlord and tenant notice periods are not always equal. In Georgia, landlords must give 60 days but tenants only 30. In Oregon, landlords need 90 days but tenants only 30. Several states have asymmetric requirements.
4
Every state allows early termination for active military under SCRA. The federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act overrides state law and allows service members to terminate leases with 30 days notice when deployed.
5
Most states now allow early termination for domestic violence. The majority of states have enacted provisions allowing victims of domestic violence to terminate a lease early with qualifying documentation such as a protection order.
Lease Termination Notice: All 50 States + DC
| State | Lease Termination Rules | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Fixed-term leases end on their terms. | Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 |
| Alaska | Fixed-term ends on its terms. | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.290 |
| Arizona | Fixed-term ends per lease. | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1375 |
| Arkansas | Fixed-term ends per lease. | Ark. Code § 18-17-704 |
| California | Month-to-month: tenant 30 days, landlord 30 or 60 days depending on tenancy length. | Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.2 |
| Colorado | Month-to-month: 21 days notice. | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-402 |
| Connecticut | Month-to-month requires 3 days notice. | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-23 |
| Delaware | Month-to-month: 60 days notice. | Del. Code tit. 25, § 5106 |
| District of Columbia | Just cause required for all terminations. | D.C. Code § 42-3505.01 |
| Florida | Month-to-month: 15 days notice. | Fla. Stat. § 83.57 |
| Georgia | Month-to-month: 60 days from landlord, 30 days from tenant. | Ga. Code § 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | Month-to-month: landlord 45 days, tenant 28 days. | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71 |
| Idaho | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Idaho Code § 55-208 |
| Illinois | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | 765 ILCS 750/1 |
| Indiana | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1 |
| Iowa | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Iowa Code § 562A.34 |
| Kansas | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Kan. Stat. § 58-2570 |
| Kentucky | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.695 |
| Louisiana | Month-to-month: 10 days notice. | La. Civ. Code Art. 2728 |
| Maine | Tenancy at will: 30 days notice. | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002 |
| Maryland | Month-to-month: 1 month notice (2 months in Baltimore City). | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402 |
| Massachusetts | Tenancy at will: 30 days or one rental period notice. | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12 |
| Michigan | Month-to-month: one rental period notice. | Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.134 |
| Minnesota | Month-to-month: one rental period notice. | Minn. Stat. § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Miss. Code § 89-8-19 |
| Missouri | Month-to-month: one rental period notice. | Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060 |
| Montana | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Mont. Code § 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437 |
| Nevada | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.340 |
| New Hampshire | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | N.H. Rev. Stat. § 540:3 |
| New Jersey | Just cause required for termination. | N.J. Stat. § 2A:18-61.1 |
| New Mexico | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | N.M. Stat. § 47-8-37 |
| New York | Month-to-month: sliding scale 30/60/90 days based on tenancy length. | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c |
| North Carolina | Month-to-month: 7 days notice. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14 |
| North Dakota | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-15 |
| Ohio | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 111 |
| Oregon | Month-to-month: landlord 90 days, tenant 30 days. | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.427 |
| Pennsylvania | Month-to-month: 15 days notice. | 68 Pa. Stat. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37 |
| South Carolina | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | S.C. Code § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | S.D. Codified Laws § 43-32-13 |
| Tennessee | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Tenn. Code § 66-28-512 |
| Texas | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Tex. Prop. Code § 92.016 |
| Utah | Month-to-month: 15 days notice. | Utah Code § 78B-6-802 |
| Vermont | Month-to-month: landlord 60 days, tenant 30 days. | Vt. Stat. tit. 9, § 4467 |
| Virginia | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Va. Code § 55.1-1253 |
| Washington | Month-to-month: landlord 60 days, tenant 20 days. | Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.650 |
| West Virginia | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | Month-to-month: 28 days notice. | Wis. Stat. § 704.16 |
| Wyoming | Month-to-month: 30 days notice. | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1003 |
Just Cause States
DC, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington stand out as the strongest tenant protection states for lease termination. In these states, landlords cannot simply end a month-to-month tenancy with notice. They must have a specific legal reason such as nonpayment, lease violation, owner move-in, or substantial renovation. New York also has good cause protections in some localities.
Shortest Notice States
North Carolina requires only 7 days for month-to-month termination. Louisiana requires 10 days. Florida requires 15 days. Pennsylvania and Utah both require 15 days. These states give landlords the most flexibility to end month-to-month arrangements quickly.
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Try RentSolve AI FreeMethodology: Data compiled from state revised statutes, annotated codes, and landlord-tenant acts for all 50 U.S. states and Washington DC. Source statutes verified against official state legislature websites as of March 2026. RentSolve AI maintains a database of 459 landlord-tenant statutes. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.