How landlords mail and serve notices to tenants
The delivery method is part of the notice. Some states accept certified mail on its own, some require mail plus posting or hand delivery, and several add days when a notice is mailed. Start here before you send anything.
Do you add extra days when a landlord notice is mailed?
In several states, yes. Washington allows five additional days before you can file when an eviction notice is served by mail; Arizona treats a notice sent by certified mail as received on the day it actually arrives or five days after mailing, whichever is first; and California adds five days to mailed rent increase notices. Where the statute is silent, count from actual receipt to be safe.
Can a landlord serve a notice to quit by certified mail?
In some states, yes: Florida's statute lists mailing, Arizona treats certified mail as received within five days at the latest, and Illinois lists certified or registered mail with a return receipt. In California, Washington and New York, mail is only the second half of substituted or post-and-mail service, so a notice sent by mail alone can get the case dismissed.
Should landlords send tenant notices by certified mail, First-Class, or both?
For notices that start a deadline, send both on the same day: Certified Mail with return receipt for proof of mailing and delivery, plus a First-Class copy that lands in the mailbox even if the tenant won't sign. Certified alone can be refused or left unclaimed; First-Class alone leaves you no USPS record.
Can a landlord email a notice to a tenant?
Only where your state allows it and the tenant has agreed. Florida allows landlord notices by e-mail under s. 83.505 when the parties have agreed to it in writing, and Virginia allows electronic notices if the rental agreement provides for them, though any tenant can ask for paper. California's court guide describes only hand delivery and mail for eviction notices.
What is the best online certified mail service for landlords?
Pick a service that mails genuine USPS Certified Mail with an article number, offers the electronic return receipt, gives you a proof-of-mailing document for your court file, sends First-Class copies, and lets you upload a list of tenants in bulk. Landlord Notice Mail does all of that, with notice templates, for $29/month including 5 certified notices.
How do I send lease violation letters and tenant notices in bulk?
Put tenant names, units and mailing addresses in a spreadsheet, merge them into one notice template, and mail each letter separately with its own Certified Mail tracking number and receipt. With the Landlord plan you upload the CSV, check a preview of each letter, and we print and mail them all.
Should a landlord notice be addressed to every tenant on the lease?
Yes: name every adult tenant on the lease in the notice, and for notices that start a legal deadline, send each tenant their own copy. A notice addressed to only one co-tenant gives the others an argument that they were never notified.
Send your next notice with proof
We print and mail it by USPS Certified Mail with tracking and a proof-of-mailing PDF. $17.99 with return receipt, or 5 notices a month on the $29 Landlord plan.