Pennsylvania law requires landlords to give tenants 10 days’ written notice to pay or quit before filing an eviction for nonpayment of rent. The notice period for other lease violations is 15 days (or 30 days if the lease has run longer than one year). Get the notice wrong and your filing gets dismissed — use this template.
Nonpayment: 10 days to pay or quit (Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. § 250.501).
Other lease violations: 15 days’ notice to quit for leases under one year; 30 days for longer tenancies.
Waiver: Many Pennsylvania leases waive or shorten the notice period — check your lease, and note that waivers are common in PA unlike most states.
Philadelphia: After the notice period, nonpayment cases must go through the city’s Eviction Diversion Program before filing.
Use the fill-in template below — it works for any Pennsylvania property, including Philadelphia.
NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT Date: ____________________ To: __________________________________ (tenant name(s), all occupants) Re: __________________________________ (rental property address, unit, county) You are indebted to the undersigned landlord in the amount of $____________ for rent of the above premises, due and unpaid for the period(s) ____________________. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED to pay the above amount within TEN (10) DAYS from the date of service of this notice, or to vacate and surrender possession of the premises. If you fail to do either, the landlord will institute legal proceedings to recover possession and all amounts due, plus costs, as permitted by law. Payment may be made by: __________________________________ _____________________________ ____________________ Landlord / Agent signature Date — Proof of service — Served on: ____________________ By: ☐ personal delivery ☐ posting ☐ mail Served by: _____________________________
Serve by personal delivery, posting on the premises, or mail — and document how and when. Pennsylvania magisterial district judges care about clean service.
Wait the full 10 days. If the tenant pays in full, the matter ends. If not, file your Landlord-Tenant Complaint at the magisterial district court for the property’s location.
In Philadelphia: apply to the Eviction Diversion Program after the notice period — it is required before the city will accept a nonpayment filing.
10 days for nonpayment of rent; 15 days for other lease violations (30 days if the tenancy has run a year or more). Many PA leases also waive notice entirely — check yours.
Yes for the notice itself — but after the notice period, Philadelphia requires the Eviction Diversion Program before you can file for nonpayment.
Pennsylvania allows leases to modify or waive notice. If your lease waives notice, you may be able to file immediately — confirm with the specific lease language.
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Manage your property free on 10DoorsThis template is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Landlord-tenant law changes and local ordinances may impose additional requirements — verify current state and local rules before serving any notice. Last reviewed September 2026.