The tenant must be given the option to pay a stated sum or vacate. Late fees may be included but do not include utilities.
The three-day notice is for rent. Utilities are not rent. See the ten-day notice to comply or vacate for utilities.
Full payments tendered in the three-day period must be accepted. Partial payments need not be. If your goal is to get the
tenant out, do not accept partial payments. If you accept a partial payment you may then serve a three-day notice for the
difference.
An exception to this rule exists if a partial payment is applied to past due rent for prior rental periods
and there is still rent owing for the period.
If the lease provides for a longer period, you must grant a longer period to comply. Shorter periods are not enforceable.
Do not serve the notice until rent is actually late. If the rent is due on the first of the month, serve after the first. If it is due on the fifth
(not a grace period, but due on the fifth) serve the notice after the fifth. If you serve it too early it will not matter
that the tenant said they would not have the rent and/or did not pay when due, etc. The rent has to be late when the notice is served.
