Landlord letter template
Late rent notice template
A firm but professional past-due rent letter with an account summary table and a delivery record. Copy it, download the Word document, or send it to every delinquent tenant in one batch.
Notice periods for all 50 states are in the table below.
A late rent notice tells a tenant their payment is overdue, states the amount owed, and sets a deadline. It is usually the first formal step: a documented reminder that often resolves the issue without escalation. If payment still does not arrive, most states then require a specific statutory notice, commonly called a pay-or-quit notice, before an eviction case can be filed. The table below shows each state’s required period.
Late rent is rarely a one-tenant event. With MailMergic you keep this letter as a Word template, export the tenants with open balances from your bookkeeping into a spreadsheet, and generate one personalized notice per tenant, each with their own amount and due date. Email them directly and the delivery tracking becomes part of your paper trail.
What is inside the Word download
More than a block of text an AI chat can improvise: a complete, formatted notice built for landlords who send it for real.
- A formatted letterhead notice with an account summary table: rent period, amount past due, late fee, and a bolded total the tenant cannot misread.
- A How To Pay block with portal, mail, and other payment lines you edit once and reuse for every delinquency run.
- Careful framing that reads as a firm reminder, not a statutory eviction notice, so you cannot accidentally serve the wrong document.
- A Delivery Record block with service-method checkboxes for your paper trail.
- Native Word merge fields for name, unit, amounts, and period, wired for a bulk run over your open-balances spreadsheet.
The letter
Copy the plain version below, or download the Word document with the formatted letterhead, summary table, and delivery record built in.
{Letter date}
[Tenant Name]
[Property Address]
NOTICE OF PAST-DUE RENT
RE: Past-due rent for the premises at [Property Address]
Dear [Tenant Name],
This letter is a reminder that, as of {Balance as of date}, our records show a past-due balance on your rent account for the premises at [Property Address]. The outstanding balance is summarized in the account summary below.
This letter is a payment reminder only. It is not an eviction notice, a notice to vacate, or any statutory notice required to begin legal proceedings.
If you have already sent payment in full, please disregard this letter and accept our thanks. If you believe any part of this balance is incorrect, please contact us right away so we can review your account together.
ACCOUNT SUMMARY
Rent period: [Rent Period]
Amount past due: [Amount Past Due]
Late fee (per lease, where permitted by law): [Late Fee]
Total amount now due: [Total Due]
Payment must be received by: {Payment due date}
Under your lease, payment of the total amount shown above must be received no later than {Payment due date}. Any partial payment received will be applied to your outstanding balance.
All other terms and conditions of your lease remain in full effect. If the total amount due is not received by {Payment due date}, we may take further action as permitted by the lease and applicable law, which may include service of a formal statutory notice and pursuit of the remedies available for nonpayment of rent.
If you are experiencing a temporary financial hardship, please contact us before the payment date above. We are willing to discuss a reasonable payment arrangement where possible, and a short conversation now can often prevent additional fees and formal proceedings.
HOW TO PAY
- Online: log in to the resident portal at {Online portal URL} and pay the total amount due.
- By mail: send a check or money order, payable to {Payee name}, to {Payment mailing address}, allowing enough time for delivery by {Payment due date}.
- Other accepted method: {Other payment method}.
- With any payment, include your full name and the property address so the payment is applied to the correct account.
If you have questions about this letter or your account history, please contact {Landlord or company name} at {Phone} or {Email}. We are glad to review the account with you.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. We value you as a resident and look forward to resolving this balance quickly.
Sincerely,
______________________________
{Landlord or company name}
{Title, e.g. Owner or Property Manager}
{Phone} · {Email} · {Landlord mailing address}
DELIVERY RECORD (complete after sending and keep with your records)
A copy of this letter, dated {Letter date}, was delivered to the tenant named above by:
[ ] Hand delivery to the tenant, or delivery to the premises in a sealed envelope addressed to the tenant
[ ] Certified mail, return receipt requested
[ ] First-class mail
Date delivered: ____________ Delivered by: ____________ Signature: ____________Merge fields: one spreadsheet column each
Filled per tenant in a bulk run, straight from your rent roll.
[Tenant Name]James Carter[Property Address]88 Pine Ave, Unit 2, Denver, CO 80203[Rent Period]July 1 to July 31, 2026[Amount Past Due]$1,300.00[Late Fee]$50.00[Total Due]$1,350.00Fill in once before sending
Your own details, edited one time in Word (marked in amber in the download). No spreadsheet columns needed.
{Letter date}July 28, 2026{Balance as of date}July 28, 2026{Payment due date}August 8, 2026{Online portal URL}portal.pineavenuerentals.com{Payee name}Pine Avenue Rentals LLC{Payment mailing address}P.O. Box 4410, Denver, CO 80201{Other payment method}cashier’s check delivered to the management office{Landlord or company name}Pine Avenue Rentals LLC{Phone}(303) 555-0177{Email}office@pineavenuerentals.comPay-or-quit notice periods by state
The statutory notice a landlord must give a tenant to pay overdue rent before an eviction case can begin. The table covers standard month-to-month residential tenancies under state law. Fixed-term leases usually lock the rent until renewal, and local ordinances (especially in rent-controlled cities) can require more notice than the state minimum.
| State | Required notice |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 business days written notice to pay or the rental agreement terminates |
| Alaska | 7 days written notice to pay or the tenancy terminates |
| Arizona | 5 days written notice to pay or the rental agreement terminates |
| Arkansas | 3 days written notice to vacate before civil unlawful detainer for nonpayment |
| California | 3 days to pay or quit, excluding weekends and judicial holidays |
| Colorado | 10-day demand for rent or possession; 5 days for certain small landlords |
| Connecticut | 3-day notice to quit, after statutory 9-day grace period for monthly tenancies |
| Delaware | 5 days written demand to pay before termination for nonpayment |
| District of Columbia | 30-day past-due rent notice before filing; no eviction if under $600 owed |
| Florida | 3 days notice to pay or quit, excluding weekends and legal holidays |
| Georgia | Demand for possession; 3 business days to pay before filing (leases from 7-2024) |
| Hawaii | 10 calendar days notice to pay, with mediation scheme (eff. 2-2026; was 5 business days) |
| Idaho | 3 days written notice to pay rent or surrender possession |
| Illinois | 5 day written demand for rent (pay or landlord may terminate and sue) |
| Indiana | 10 day notice to pay rent or vacate |
| Iowa | 3 day notice to pay or the rental agreement terminates |
| Kansas | 3 day notice to pay or the rental agreement terminates |
| Kentucky | 7 day notice to pay in URLTA jurisdictions; no statewide pay-or-quit statute |
| Louisiana | 5 day notice to vacate; no statutory right to cure; lease may waive notice |
| Maine | 7 day notice to quit once rent is 7 or more days late; paying in full voids notice |
| Maryland | 10 day written notice of intent to file before a failure-to-pay-rent case |
| Massachusetts | 14 day notice to quit; at-will tenant may cure in 10 days if first in 12 months |
| Michigan | 7 day written demand for possession or payment of rent |
| Minnesota | 14 day written notice before filing eviction for nonpayment (since Jan 2024) |
| Mississippi | 3 day written notice to pay or quit |
| Missouri | No statutory waiting period; landlord may sue for possession after demand for rent |
| Montana | 3 days written notice to pay or tenancy terminates |
| Nebraska | 7 calendar days written notice to pay or lease terminates |
| Nevada | 7 judicial days notice to pay rent or quit |
| New Hampshire | 7 day notice to quit; tenant may cure by paying arrears plus $15 |
| New Jersey | No pre-suit notice required for nonpayment; seniors/disabled get 5 business day grace |
| New Mexico | 3 day notice; tenancy terminates unless rent paid in full within 3 days |
| New York | 14 day written rent demand before nonpayment proceeding |
| North Carolina | 10 day demand for rent before summary ejectment |
| North Dakota | 3 days written notice of intention to evict; no statutory right to cure |
| Ohio | 3 day notice to leave premises; no statutory right to cure |
| Oklahoma | 5 day written demand for rent; termination if unpaid |
| Oregon | 72 hour notice on 8th day late, or 144 hour notice on 5th day late |
| Pennsylvania | 10 day notice to quit for nonpayment; lease may modify or waive |
| Rhode Island | Rent must be 15 days in arrears, then 5-day written demand to cure before filing |
| South Carolina | 5-day notice to pay; a conspicuous lease clause can serve as the required notice |
| South Dakota | None; 3-day notice to quit repealed 7/2024, landlord may file eviction directly |
| Tennessee | 14 days to pay after written notice, else the rental agreement terminates |
| Texas | 3 days written notice to vacate, no statutory cure right; lease may alter period |
| Utah | 3 business days to pay or vacate after written notice |
| Vermont | 14 days actual notice; paying rent due in full before the date voids the notice |
| Virginia | 14 days to pay or lease terminates; raised from 5 days effective 7/1/2026 |
| Washington | 14-day notice to pay or vacate |
| West Virginia | No notice required; landlord may file for possession immediately upon default |
| Wisconsin | 5-day pay or quit; landlord may instead give 14-day notice with no right to cure |
| Wyoming | 3 days written notice to quit for nonpayment before eviction filing |
Last reviewed July 2026. Spotted a change in your state? Tell us at support@mailmergic.com.
These templates and notice-period tables are general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law changes and varies by state, city, and lease type; rent-controlled and subsidized housing often have stricter rules. Confirm the current requirements for your jurisdiction or consult a local attorney before sending a notice.
Before you send this notice
- 1.Match the late fee to your lease and your state’s caps and grace periods. If either does not allow a fee, delete that row from the summary.
- 2.This is a payment reminder, not a statutory pay-or-quit notice. If you intend to start the formal process, serve your state’s required notice with the period shown in the table below.
- 3.Rules on partial payments differ by state, and accepting one after serving a statutory notice can affect your remedies. Decide your policy before the formal stage.
- 4.Send reminders promptly and consistently to every tenant with a balance; an even-handed, documented process reads well if a court ever sees it.
- 5.Keep a copy of each letter with the completed Delivery Record.
When to use this template
Monthly delinquency run
Export open balances from your bookkeeping, mail merge one notice per tenant, and send them all in minutes instead of an afternoon.
Consistent, documented process
Every tenant gets the same professional letter with their own amounts, which keeps the process fair and defensible.
Escalation paper trail
Tracked email delivery gives you dated proof of each reminder if the situation later moves to a formal pay-or-quit notice.
Send it to every tenant at once
One letter, one spreadsheet, one personalized notice per tenant. That is what MailMergic is for.
Upload the letter template
Use the Word download as-is, or edit it first. The merge fields are already in place.
Upload your tenant spreadsheet
One row per tenant: name, unit, amounts, dates. Excel, CSV, and Google Sheets all work.
Generate and deliver
One personalized letter per tenant. Download all as PDFs, or email each tenant with delivery and open tracking.
Late rent notice FAQ
Is a late rent notice the same as a pay-or-quit notice?
When can I send a late rent notice?
What should a late rent notice include?
Can I charge a late fee?
How do I send notices to several tenants at once?
Other landlord letters
Rent increase letter
Formal notice of a new rent amount, with the required notice period for every state.
Notice to vacate
End a month-to-month tenancy properly, with the notice period your state requires.
All landlord letter templates
Browse the full set of free tenant notices.
These templates and notice-period tables are general information, not legal advice. Landlord-tenant law changes and varies by state, city, and lease type; rent-controlled and subsidized housing often have stricter rules. Confirm the current requirements for your jurisdiction or consult a local attorney before sending a notice.