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Pennsylvania · Moving out

Pennsylvania notice to vacate — the no statute — check your lease rule and a free letter

Pennsylvania is the odd one out among big states: the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 sets notice-to-quit periods for landlords — 15 days for leases of one year or less or indeterminate ones, 30 days for leases over a year (68 P.S. § 250.501) — but writes no minimum for the tenant’s own notice to vacate. Your lease is the rulebook. Most Pennsylvania leases require 30 or 60 days’ written notice, and courts enforce what you signed; where the lease is silent, giving one full rental period (30 days for monthly rent) before the period ends is the customary, defensible practice. Philadelphia adds a real twist: its good-cause ordinance restricts non-renewals of short leases, and the city requires its own notice mechanics. On deposits, 68 P.S. § 250.512 gives the landlord 30 days after you move out to return the money or an itemized list — but only if you provided a written forwarding address, and a landlord who blows the deadline can owe you double.

No statute — check your leasetenant month-to-month notice · No tenant-side statute (68 P.S. § 250.501 covers landlord notices)

Not legal advice — general information for Pennsylvania. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Notice-period check

Pennsylvania: no statutory minimum — your lease controls

Your date gives 35 days' notice. 30 days is customary in Pennsylvania, but check the notice clause in your lease before sending.

Most statutes count notice to the end of a rental period — if rent is due on the 1st, plan to move out on the last day of a month.

[Tenant name(s)]

[Rental address]

July 3, 2026

[Landlord / property manager name]

Landlord / Property Manager

RE: Notice of intent to vacate — [Rental address]

Dear [Landlord / property manager name],

Please accept this letter as my written notice of intent to vacate the rental unit at [Rental address]. My tenancy will end and I will deliver possession of the premises no later than August 7, 2026. This notice is given in accordance with my rental agreement and applicable state law.

I will remove all personal belongings, return all keys and access devices, and leave the unit in clean condition, normal wear and tear excepted. Please contact me to schedule a move-out inspection.

I will provide a forwarding address for the return of my security deposit before my move-out date.

This notice is delivered via certified mail with return receipt requested on July 3, 2026.

Sincerely,

[Tenant name(s)]
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Pennsylvania notice rules

  • ✓Read your lease first — Pennsylvania sets no statutory minimum for tenant notice, so the lease clause (commonly 30 or 60 days, sometimes tied to the rental period) is what a magistrate will enforce.
  • ✓Lease silent? Give at least one full rental period’s written notice ending on the last day of a period — 30 days is the customary benchmark for monthly rent.
  • ✓Deliver it in a provable way: certified mail with return receipt, or hand delivery with a dated copy signed as received.
  • ✓Watch for auto-renewal clauses — many Pennsylvania leases convert to year-to-year or month-to-month and require notice 60 or 90 days before the term ends.
  • ✓Hand over a written forwarding address at or before move-out: the 30-day deposit clock and your right to sue for double under § 250.512 both depend on it.
  • ✓Moving out in Philadelphia? Local rules differ from the rest of the state — check the Fair Housing Commission’s guidance before assuming state defaults.

For landlords

Landlord notices to quit run 15 days for leases of one year or less (or indeterminate) and 30 days for longer leases under 68 P.S. § 250.501 — and the lease can shorten or waive them. In Philadelphia, the good-cause ordinance (Phila. Code § 9-804) requires landlords to state a good-cause reason with at least 30 days’ written notice before terminating or non-renewing many leases under a year, including month-to-month.

Worked example with real dates

Colleen rents month-to-month in Pittsburgh at $1,240, rent due the 1st, and her lease says: “Either party may terminate with thirty (30) days’ written notice effective the last day of a rental month.” Pennsylvania law adds no tenant minimum, so that clause is the whole rule. To leave by October 31, 2026 she delivers a signed letter on September 28 — more than 30 days out and effective on a period’s last day — by certified mail, keeping the receipt. The letter includes her new Erie forwarding address in writing, which arms 68 P.S. § 250.512: her landlord has until November 30 (30 days after move-out) to return the $1,240 or an itemized deduction list, and past that she can sue for double the difference. If her lease had required 60 days, notice by September 1 would have been the real deadline — the lease, not a statute, sets the bar in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania notice to vacate FAQ

How much notice does a month-to-month tenant have to give in Pennsylvania?

Whatever your lease says — Pennsylvania has no statute setting a tenant-side minimum. The Landlord and Tenant Act’s notice periods (15/30 days in 68 P.S. § 250.501) govern the landlord’s notice to quit, not yours. If the lease is silent, 30 days’ written notice ending on the last day of a rental month is the customary, safe practice.

Can my Pennsylvania landlord make me leave with just 15 days’ notice?

For a lease of one year or less (including month-to-month), 68 P.S. § 250.501 sets the landlord’s notice to quit at 15 days at term end — one of the shortest in the country — though your lease can promise you more, and the lease can also waive notice entirely. In Philadelphia, the good-cause ordinance generally requires 30 days’ written notice plus a stated good-cause reason for many leases under a year.

When does a Pennsylvania landlord have to return the security deposit?

Within 30 days after the lease ends or you surrender the unit, under 68 P.S. § 250.512 — either the deposit or an itemized list of damages with any difference refunded. Two catches: you must give a written forwarding address (no address, and the landlord is released from the penalty provisions), and if the landlord misses the 30 days without a list, you can sue for double the deposit.

My lease says nothing about moving out — what do I do?

Give written notice at least one full rental period before the day you want the tenancy to end, timed to the last day of a period — for monthly rent, that means 30 days. Pennsylvania courts look to the lease and the parties’ practice when no statute applies, so a generous, provable, well-timed letter is your best protection. When in doubt, the PA Attorney General’s Consumer Guide to Tenant and Landlord Rights is the official reference.

Sources

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