For a month-to-month, or periodic tenancy agreement, a tenant must serve written notice to end the tenancy and make sure that it’s received:
- At least one month before the effective date of the notice, and
- Before the day that rent is due
For example, if rent is due on the first day of the month, a notice given on March 15 would not take effect until the last day of April and the tenant would have to pay rent for the month of April.
The tenant must move out by 1 p.m. on the effective date of the notice – the last day of the tenancy. This means the unit must be cleaned and all keys given to the landlord, unless the landlord agrees in writing to a later time.
A tenant who doesn’t move out on the effective date of a Notice to End Tenancy is called an overholding tenant. In these situations, the landlord may apply for an Order of Possession to end the tenancy and money to cover expenses – like accommodation or storage costs for an incoming tenant.