There will always be some required notices that a landlord must send to the tenant, and likewise there are notices that must be sent by the tenant to the landlord. Keeping track of required notices, remembering to send them in a timely fashion, and keeping copies of notices sent are all important parts of a landlord or property manager’s job. Make sure to review all of the required notices that may come up during the course of a tenancy. These can be found in the landlord tenant law section of North Carolina statutes. We have noted some of the more common notices here.
Notice to quit
A tenant is required to provide notice of their intent to vacate the premises at the end of the agreement term. With a lease of one year or more the notice period is 30 days. Even if your tenant provides verbal notice it is best to ask for a short written notice of their intent to quit. Rental agreements that are month to month require a seven day notice to quit by either party. Oftentimes a tenant will revert to a month to month tenant after the fixed term lease expires. In this case the seven day notice period takes effect.
Rent changes
While a landlord cannot change the rental amount during the tenancy, for any period after the initial tenancy the rental amount can be changed with proper notice. The notice period is 30 days for such a change in the rental amount, say, when a tenant’s initial term is about to expire and they release for another year. For month to month tenancies the notice period is also 30 days for a rent change.
Notices to terminate
If a landlord needs to terminate a lease early for a lease violation or nonpayment of rent there are different notice periods. For a lease violation the lease ends immediately with no notice period required. For nonpayment of rent the landlord must provide 10 days written notice to the tenant.
Notice prior to entry
North Carolina law does not have a statute that stipulates the notice period required to be given prior to the landlord entering the rental unit. However, common courtesy should prevail in non-emergency situations. Providing at least 24 hours notice before entering a rental unit for maintenance, repair, or inspection is suggested. Make sure to provide a written notice of intended entry and leave a note in the unit with the time, date, and purpose of entry.