A notice period is the time a lease requires between telling the other party you are leaving (or not renewing) and the date you actually leave. If the notice period is three months and you want to leave on 31 March, notice must reach the landlord by 31 December. Miss that date and, depending on the lease, you may have to stay and pay longer, the lease may renew on its own terms, or you lose your bargaining position in the renewal talks.
The two deadlines most commercial leases create
A commercial lease in India usually has a lock-in period and a fixed term. Each gives a different exit date — and so a different notice deadline:
| Deadline | Exit date | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Lock-in exit | The day the lock-in ends — the earliest you can leave without paying rent for the rest of the lock-in | Tenants who may want to leave early |
| Non-renewal | Lease expiry | Both sides — the tenant to leave, the landlord to take the space back or reset terms |
| Renewal option (if the lease has one) | Lease expiry | Tenants who want to stay — many leases require the option to be exercised in writing by a set date |
After the lock-in, many leases also let either party end the lease at any time with notice. Then the deadline simply moves with the date you choose to leave.
How to calculate the last date to serve notice
Count back in calendar months, not in 30-day blocks. When the same day doesn't exist in the earlier month, use that month's last day — three months before 31 May is 28 February (29 in a leap year), not 3 March.
A worked example
An office lease runs from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2029, with a 36-month lock-in and a 3-month notice period.
| To leave… | Exit date | Notice period | Serve notice by |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the lock-in ends | 31 Mar 2027 | 3 months | 31 Dec 2026 |
| At lease expiry (not renew) | 31 Mar 2029 | 3 months | 31 Dec 2028 |
If the tenant wants out after the lock-in, the decision has to be made in December 2026 — three months before the lock-in actually ends. A team that only tracks the lock-in end date finds out too late.
Want the dates without the arithmetic? Our free Lease Notice Date Calculator works them out from the lease start, lock-in, term and notice period.
Read the clause carefully
The same "three months' notice" can be worded in ways that change the date:
- "Clear" months. "Three clear months" usually leaves out the day notice is served and the exit day, which pulls the deadline a day or two earlier.
- "Received" vs "sent". If notice must be received by the landlord, allow for courier or registered-post time.
- End of a month. Some leases only allow an exit on the last day of a calendar month, or on a rent-period end.
- How notice is served. Many leases name the address and the method — registered post, courier or email. Notice sent another way may not count.
If the lease doesn't specify a notice period at all, Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 sets a default. Most commercial leases do specify one, and wording varies, so check yours with your legal adviser.
Common mistakes
- Tracking only the expiry date. By the time expiry is close, the notice date has passed.
- Forgetting the lock-in exit. It is usually the most valuable exit point, and the easiest to miss.
- Serving on the last day. A holiday, a courier delay or a wrong address and the notice is late. Aim for a week or two earlier.
- No proof of service. Keep the acknowledgement, the postal receipt or the email reply with the lease.
- Dates lost after an amendment. A renewal or extension changes the expiry — and with it the notice date. Recalculate whenever the lease changes.
Tracking notice deadlines across a portfolio
With a few leases a calendar reminder works. With dozens, deadlines slip through. LeaseHub360 records the notice period on every lease and works out both deadlines — lock-in exit and non-renewal — automatically. They are flagged on the dashboard, on the lease page and in the Lease Tracker. Reminders go out by email and in the app at 60, 30, 15, 7, 3 and 1 days before, and on the day itself. See lease expiry, lock-in and renewal tracking.
Frequently asked questions
What is a notice period in a commercial lease?
The time the lease requires between telling the other party you are ending or not renewing the lease and the date you leave — commonly one to six months in Indian commercial leases.
How do I calculate the last date to serve notice?
Take the date you want to leave — the lock-in end or the lease expiry — and go back by the notice period in calendar months. For a 3-month notice and a 31 March exit, that is 31 December.
Can I serve notice during the lock-in period?
Usually yes — that is how a tenant leaves right when the lock-in ends. Notice served during the lock-in to leave on the lock-in end date is common; leaving before the lock-in ends normally means paying the remaining lock-in rent. Check your lease.
What happens if I miss the notice deadline?
It depends on the lease: you may have to pay rent for the notice period from the day notice is actually given, the lease may continue or renew, or the landlord may agree to a later date. Missing it almost always costs money or leverage.
Does the landlord also need to give notice?
Yes, if the landlord does not want to renew or wants to change terms at expiry, the lease usually requires notice too. During the lock-in, the landlord typically cannot end the lease except for a breach.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Notice clauses differ from lease to lease — check yours with a legal adviser before acting.
Setting up leases from their PDFs? AI lease extraction reads the parties, dates, rent, escalation, lock-in and notice period from the deed — you review each value beside its source page. See also: what is lease abstraction.
Never miss a notice deadline
LeaseHub360 calculates notice deadlines for every lease and reminds your team by email and in the app.