Pennsylvania Eviction Notice Requirements

68 P.S. Section 250.501 sets the predicate notice to quit. In "case of failure of the tenant, upon demand, to satisfy any rent reserved and due," the notice must give the tenant ten days to remove. For termination at the end of a term or forfeiture for breach, the tenant gets 15 days when the lease is "for a term of one year or less or for an indeterminate time" and 30 days when it is "for more than one year." Service may be personal, by leaving it at the principal building on the premises, or by posting. The notice "may be for a lesser time or may be waived by the tenant if the lease so provides." Only a court judgment for possession, executed by a constable or sheriff, may carry out the removal; self-help is prohibited.

No specific statutory penalty for the notice itself, but filing without a valid notice to quit is grounds for dismissal. Self-help eviction, such as changing locks or removing belongings, exposes the landlord to liability; removal requires a court order executed by an officer.