Landlords generally use a pay or quit notice to warn their tenants to pay the pending rent, or they will have to evict the house. These notices make the eviction process more secure in the legal proceedings. If the tenant does not follow the terms and conditions of the rental agreement, the landlord can seek justice through the court.
These notices follow an utterly legal procedure, and steps are taken to avoid any injustice or dispute even after the matter is resolved. In other words, it is a safe and secure process that helps you to get your right in property matters.
What Is a Pay or Quit Notice?
A pay or quit notice is also called a ‘’notice to vacate due to late rent’’. In some cases, the annoying tenants do not pay the rent on time, and the landlords face difficulties. If the tenants are not paying the required rent even after many tries by the landlord, he has all rights to file a pay or quit notice in accordance with the laws of the state.
As it is a common problem that tenants don’t pay rent, the quit or pay notice is the most common and widely accepted notice in all states. The tenants are given a specific time from 3 days to 10 days, depending on the circumstances.
If the tenant fails to pay the rent, the landlord seeks justice through the court, and the tenant is forced to leave the property. However, the unpaid rent is still to be paid by the tenant even after the eviction is expired.
Through the pay or quit notice, the landlord will receive his or her unpaid rent, and the tenant cannot deny this because this matter is solved in the court.
When do you Need a Pay or Quit notice?
A pay or quit notice is only used between the landlord and the tenant. If the tenant is not paying the rent on time, the landlord will send a pay or quit notice asking the tenant to either pay the rent in a few days or leave the place.
However, there can be different circumstances of not paying the rent on time, either the loss of a job or some illness. On the other hand, maybe the tenant is irresponsible and greedy. These types of scams and frauds require an effective and complete process, and that can only be done in assistance with the court.
No matter whatever the case is, necessary actions must be taken by the landlord through pay or quit notice so that the issue can be resolved as soon as possible. The landlord must keep a copy of pay or quit notice as evidence for future correspondence.
How to Deliver the Pay or Quit Notice?
The landlord should first send a pay or quit notice from himself to the tenant before asking the court. Preparing a draft is the first step. The draft should include the following information:
- A complete description of the property, including street no. and floor (in case of apartments).
- Names of the tenants living in the property.
- The amount of rent that is due.
- The rent paid late.
- The date of the notice.
- Mention that if the tenant does not pay the rent on time, he will be forced to leave.
After filling all this information, the landlord must give a time duration from 3 to 10 days, depending on the circumstances and the state laws. This time should also be mentioned in the written notice.
Moreover, the pay or quit notice should also include the amount owed, late fees, and the total rent that is to be paid, as mentioned in the rental agreement. After this, the pay or quit notice will be sent to the tenant either through a mail or the rental address.
However, some states require the pay or quit notice to be sent through a good mail service. You should check your state laws before you deliver the notice. If the tenant does not respond after the given time, the landlord has all the rights to begin the eviction process. However, it is better to consult legal counsel in this process.
Conclusion
A quit or pay notice provides a legal and safe process of delivering justice to the landlord. However, the landlord should avoid using any debased language and losing records as they can create further problems, and the landlord might fail to get justice.
As the quit or pay notice requires a professional notice, you can either write it yourself or get it on the CocoSign website. Our collection contains many templates for eviction notices. CocoSign also facilitates its customers by providing free templates for pay or quit notices.