New York notice to vacate: notice periods and mailing rules

For a month-to-month tenancy, by the landlord: 30 days if the tenant has occupied under 1 year; 60 days if 1 to 2 years; 90 days if 2 or more years (RPL § 226-c). The same tiers apply to rent increases of 5% or more. (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c, N.Y. RPAPL § 711(2), N.Y. RPAPL § 735)

If your lease requires more notice than the statute, the lease controls. Count days from the date notice is properly served, not the date you write it. Statutes change — verify the current text before serving, and treat this as a starting point, not a substitute for the statute.

14-day written rent demand before filing a nonpayment proceeding (RPAPL § 711(2)).

Nonpayment notices are the strictest documents in landlord-tenant law: the wording, the cure period, and the service method often come straight from the statute, and a defective notice restarts the whole clock. Where your state publishes required form language, use it verbatim.

rent demands are served per RPAPL § 735: personal delivery, or substituted service or conspicuous posting, either of which must be followed within one day by mailing BOTH registered or certified mail AND regular first-class mail.

Whichever method you use, keep dated proof. Certified Mail gives you a USPS record of when the notice was mailed and delivered — the fact an eviction case usually turns on.

Good Cause Eviction (RPL art. 6-A, effective April 2024): automatic in New York City and opt-in for other municipalities; covered units require good cause to evict or non-renew, and rent increases above the lesser of 10% or 5% + CPI are presumptively unreasonable. Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled units follow separate rules.

Local ordinances can add further requirements on top of state law — check the rules for the property's city and county before serving.

This sample notice works for a New York tenancy once you confirm the notice period above and any wording your statute or lease requires. Replace the bracketed fields, count the days carefully, and keep a copy of everything.

[Date]

[Tenant Name(s)]
[Property Address, Unit]
[City, NY ZIP]

Re: Notice to vacate — [Property Address, Unit]

Dear [Tenant Name(s)],

This letter is your written notice that your tenancy at [Property Address, Unit] will end on [Termination Date], in accordance with your rental agreement and New York law. Please vacate and return all keys by that date.

[If month-to-month: This notice is given at least [Notice Period] days before the termination date, as required for a month-to-month tenancy in New York.]

Please leave the unit in the condition required by your lease, and provide a forwarding address for the return of your security deposit and any required documentation.

If you have questions about this notice, contact me at [Phone / Email].

This notice is delivered by [first-class / certified] mail.

Sincerely,

[Landlord / Property Manager Name]
[Signature]
[Company, if any]
[Mailing Address]
[Phone / Email]

Fill it in, sign it, and PostalForm prints and mails it — you see the exact PDF and the exact price before anything sends, and Certified Mail adds a dated USPS delivery record.

• N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c — NY Senate
• N.Y. RPAPL § 735 — NY Senate
• NY Attorney General — Residential Tenants' Rights Guide

Statutes change. Verify the current text of the statute and any local ordinance before serving a notice, and talk to a New York landlord-tenant attorney when the stakes are high. This page is general information, not legal advice.