Quick answer. A 14-day termination notice under Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act must: (1) be in writing; (2) state the specific ground (non-payment of rent, or a substantial breach with the specific breach identified); (3) reference the RTA section relied on; (4) state a termination date exactly 14 clear days after service (the day of service and the termination date are both excluded from the count); (5) be signed and dated by the landlord or authorised agent; and (6) be served by a method the RTA permits (personal delivery, posting on the door if personal service is not possible, registered mail, or email/text where the tenant has consented). Miscounting the 14 days, citing the wrong ground, or serving by an unauthorised method voids the notice, and the tenancy continues. The most common landlord error is counting the day of service as day 1; it is not. Day 1 is the day after service.
When a 14-Day Notice Applies
Two grounds support a 14-day termination notice under the RTA: non-payment of rent (any amount), and substantial breach of a material term of the lease or the RTA. Substantial breach examples: repeated late payment (3 or more late payments in a rolling 12-month period is often argued as substantial), unauthorised additional occupants, cannabis smoking or growing in violation of a no-cannabis lease clause, repeated unreasonable disturbance to other tenants, unauthorised pets, and material damage below the 24-hour-notice threshold.
The Exact 14-Day Count
The RTA requires 14 clear days between service and termination. Clear days means the day of service and the termination date are both excluded from the 14-day count. Example: notice served on August 3. Day of service (Aug 3) does not count. Day 1 = Aug 4, Day 2 = Aug 5, ..., Day 14 = Aug 17. Termination date must be Aug 18 or later. Serving a notice on Aug 3 with a termination date of Aug 17 is a 13-clear-day notice, which is void.
Sample 14-Day Notice for Non-Payment
The following template covers the mandatory elements. Substitute the bracketed items with your specific details:
NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF TENANCY FOR NON-PAYMENT OF RENT\n\nTo: [Tenant name(s)]\nRental unit: [Full property address including unit number]\nDate of notice: [Date of service]\n\nPursuant to section 29 of Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, I am giving you notice that your tenancy is terminated for non-payment of rent. The specific rent owing as at the date of this notice is $[amount owing] for the rental period(s) of [dates]. This notice takes effect and the tenancy terminates on [termination date, exactly 14 clear days after service]. You are required to vacate the rental premises and return possession to the landlord on or before that date. Payment of the full amount owing before the termination date may reinstate the tenancy at the landlord's discretion.\n\nSigned: [Landlord or authorised agent signature]\nPrinted name: [Full name]\nContact: [Phone, email, mailing address]
Sample 14-Day Notice for Substantial Breach
NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF TENANCY FOR SUBSTANTIAL BREACH\n\nTo: [Tenant name(s)]\nRental unit: [Full address]\nDate of notice: [Date of service]\n\nPursuant to section 30 of Alberta's Residential Tenancies Act, I am giving you notice that your tenancy is terminated for substantial breach of the following term(s) of the lease and/or the Residential Tenancies Act:\n\n[Specific breach clearly stated, e.g., 'The lease at Clause 12 prohibits pets without written landlord consent. An unauthorised dog has been kept on the premises since approximately [date] despite the notice served on [prior date] requiring removal. This breach constitutes a substantial breach under section 30 of the RTA.']\n\nThis notice takes effect and the tenancy terminates on [termination date, exactly 14 clear days after service]. You are required to vacate the rental premises on or before that date.\n\nSigned: [Landlord signature]\nPrinted name: [Full name]\nContact: [Phone, email, mailing address]
How to Serve the Notice
- Personal delivery to the tenant (best; witness by a third party if possible).
- Posting on the main entrance door of the rental unit (permitted if personal service is not reasonably possible).
- Registered mail to the rental address (deemed served 5 days after mailing).
- Email to an address the tenant has consented to in the lease (deemed served on the date sent, subject to lease language).
- Text message to a number the tenant has consented to in the lease (same principle as email).
For any service method, document the date, time, and method. Personal service witnessed by a third party is the strongest evidence in an RTDRS hearing. If serving by posting, take a dated photograph of the notice on the door.
The 8 Mistakes That Void the Notice
- Counting the day of service as Day 1. The count starts the day after service. Off-by-one errors are the most common voiding mistake.
- Citing the wrong RTA section (using section 30 for non-payment, which requires section 29).
- Failing to state the specific breach. 'Breach of lease' is not enough; the specific term breached must be identified.
- Serving by an unauthorised method. Voicemail, in-person verbal notice, or delivery to a neighbour is not valid service.
- Missing the landlord's signature and printed name.
- No date on the notice (date of notice must appear on the document itself).
- Accepting rent after serving the notice without a written 'without prejudice' agreement. Accepting rent can be interpreted as reinstating the tenancy on the same terms.
- Serving the notice on a person who is not a tenant on the lease (leaving it with a friend or roommate who is not on the lease is not valid service).
What Happens After the 14 Days
If the tenant pays or cures the breach during the notice period, the tenancy typically continues (subject to specific lease terms and any 'without prejudice' agreement). If the tenant neither cures nor leaves by the termination date, the landlord files an application with the RTDRS for a possession order. See our full guide at /blog/how-to-evict-tenant-alberta-rtdrs-timeline for the post-notice process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I combine unpaid rent and substantial breach in one notice?
Yes. The notice can identify both grounds provided each is properly documented. In practice, most landlords use two separate notices (one under section 29 for non-payment, one under section 30 for the substantive breach) to preserve independent grounds if one is challenged.
What if the tenant pays partial rent during the notice period?
Partial payment does not automatically reinstate the tenancy, but it can undermine the notice at the RTDRS hearing. If you accept partial payment, document in writing that acceptance is 'without prejudice to the notice and without reinstatement of the tenancy.' Getting the tenant to sign this acknowledgement preserves your position.
Do I have to give the tenant a chance to cure?
For non-payment, the tenant can typically cure by paying the full amount owing before the termination date, at which point the tenancy usually continues. For substantial breach, the RTA does not require the landlord to give a separate cure opportunity, but RTDRS often expects the landlord to have raised the issue at least once informally before serving the notice for most breach types.
Can I use email for service if the lease is silent on email?
Risky. If the lease does not authorise email service, an argument exists that email is not a valid service method. If email is your intended primary channel, add a lease clause explicitly permitting email service to the tenant's specified email address, and have the tenant initial it.
Does UrbanLease serve notices on behalf of owner clients?
Yes. UrbanLease drafts the notice, serves it by the appropriate method, maintains the service record, and files with RTDRS if required. All handled under RECA-licensed management through PREP Realty.
Bottom Line
The 14-day notice is procedurally strict. Every element (specific ground, correct RTA section, exact 14 clear days, permitted service method, complete signature block) matters. The cost of getting any element wrong is 2 to 3 weeks of restart plus continued unpaid rent. The cost of getting it right is a clean, defensible notice that supports a fast RTDRS application if the tenant does not comply. UrbanLease drafts and serves these notices routinely for Calgary owner clients. Property management services provided by PREP Realty.