Documents / Real Estate
Rent Increase Notice
Give a tenant proper written notice that the monthly rent is going up, with the new amount and effective date.
Self-help drafting template
Prepare and export a letter or publication. Follow the applicable delivery or publication process; Quill does not serve legal notices.
State-specific. Terms, notices or signing steps change with your state.
Version 2026-09-09.8. No qualified legal review is recorded. Read the complete document and obtain advice for your circumstances.
Before you use this document
- Check rent-control, subsidy, lease-term and notice-period restrictions for the actual property.
- Specify the old/new rent and effective date; obtain agreement where required and retain lawful delivery evidence.
Guidance updated September 8, 2026. Source coverage is limited to the topics described; historical sources are identified. State, local and transaction-specific requirements still apply.
Time
~4 min
Questions
18–19
Steps
6
Export
PDF · Word
Answer guided questions, review your draft, and export or request signatures on supported documents.
What we will cover
- 01
Location
Choose the actual location so the preparation guidance and applicable safeguards follow your document.
- 02
Landlord & Tenant
- 03
The Increase
- 04
Notice basis and delivery
Use the current state/local form where required. Preparing this draft does not serve it or prove the right to terminate or raise rent.
- 05
Tenancy coverage and deadline record
- 06
Rent history and permitted increase
- 07
Review and generate
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About this document
A rent increase notice tells a tenant in writing that the monthly rent is changing: the current amount, the new amount, and the date it takes effect. For a month-to-month tenancy this is how the change becomes effective at all — rent does not go up because you mentioned it, it goes up because proper notice was served and the tenant stayed. The dated letter is also the record you will want if the tenant later disputes what is owed.
Timing and size are both regulated. Most states require at least 30 days' written notice, and many require 60 or 90 days once the increase crosses a percentage threshold; some cities require more. A growing number of states and municipalities also cap annual increases through rent control or rent stabilization. Increases served soon after a repair request or a code complaint can be treated as retaliation, so keep the timing and the reason defensible.
Common questions
How much notice do I have to give before raising the rent?+
Thirty days' written notice is the common baseline for a month-to-month tenancy, but many states require 60 or 90 days for larger increases, and local ordinances can require more. The notice usually has to be delivered before the start of the rental period in which the new rent applies. Read the state statute and the city ordinance together — the stricter one controls.
Can I raise the rent in the middle of a lease?+
Not during a fixed term, unless the lease contains an escalation clause or the tenant signs a written amendment agreeing to it. A signed 12-month lease locks the rent for those 12 months. If the term is ending, serve the notice far enough in advance that the new rent takes effect at renewal rather than mid-term.
Is there a limit on how much I can raise the rent?+
In much of the country there is no statutory cap and the market sets it. But rent-control and rent-stabilization laws in a number of cities — and statewide caps in a handful of states — limit annual increases to a set percentage, often tied to inflation. Confirm whether the property is covered before choosing a number, because an increase above an applicable cap is unenforceable.
General information, not legal advice — laws vary by state and change over time.
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