What if it's illegal? — All 50 states (2026)

Every U.S. state has its own rules. Tap your state for the full plain-English breakdown of "what if it's illegal?".

• Alabama

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Alabama's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Alaska

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Alaska's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Arizona

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Arizona's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Arkansas

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Arkansas's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• California

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing California's 10% cap and 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Colorado

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Colorado's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Connecticut

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Connecticut's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Delaware

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Delaware's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• District of Columbia

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing District of Columbia's 10% cap and 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Florida

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Florida's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Georgia

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Georgia's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Hawaii

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Hawaii's 45-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Idaho

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Idaho's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Illinois

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Illinois's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Indiana

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Indiana's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Iowa

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Iowa's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Kansas

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Kansas's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Kentucky

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Kentucky's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Louisiana

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Louisiana's 10-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Maine

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Maine's 45-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Maryland

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Maryland's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Massachusetts

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Massachusetts's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Michigan

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Michigan's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Minnesota

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Minnesota's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Mississippi

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Mississippi's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Missouri

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Missouri's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Montana

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Montana's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Nebraska

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Nebraska's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Nevada

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Nevada's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• New Hampshire

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing New Hampshire's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• New Jersey

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing New Jersey's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• New Mexico

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing New Mexico's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• New York

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing New York's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• North Carolina

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing North Carolina's 7-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• North Dakota

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing North Dakota's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Ohio

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Ohio's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Oklahoma

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Oklahoma's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Oregon

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Oregon's 10% cap and 90-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Pennsylvania

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Pennsylvania's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Rhode Island

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Rhode Island's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• South Carolina

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing South Carolina's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• South Dakota

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing South Dakota's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Tennessee

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Tennessee's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Texas

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Texas's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Utah

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Utah's 15-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Vermont

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Vermont's 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Virginia

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Virginia's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Washington

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Washington's 10% cap and 60-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• West Virginia

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing West Virginia's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Wisconsin

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Wisconsin's 28-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

• Wyoming

  You generally do not owe the unlawful portion. Save the notice, respond in writing citing Wyoming's 30-day rule, and contact a local tenant-rights or legal-aid organization.

Not legal advice. Verify with a licensed attorney in your state before acting.