Glossary
Notice window
The period of written notice required before an increase is allowed to take effect.
The notice window is a condition in many clauses and a courtesy in others. The difference is the whole claim. If notice is a condition, a perfect calculation with no proof of delivery does not get invoiced. If notice is a courtesy, the increase may still take effect and the missed letter is a relationship problem, not a waiver of the price.
Count backward from the effective date using the number in the clause. For a January 1, 2027 effective date, 90 days' notice is due October 3, 2026, 60 days' notice is due November 2, 2026, and 30 days' notice is due December 2, 2026. As of November 1, 2026, the 90-day date has passed and the 60-day date is the next day.
Delivery method is part of the window. Certified mail, the AP portal, and an email to a named address are not substitutes for each other. Notice to a former property manager does not start the clock if the notice block names someone else.
Keep the receipt. The worksheet is not complete without it. A finding can be 'increase is mathematically available and not yet billable, because notice has not gone out.' That is a useful result, not a failed audit.
Related terms
See it used in a worked example · CPI calculator · Request an audit
Sources and limits
Index levels from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index, not seasonally adjusted, retrieved through the BLS Public Data API on November 1, 2026. Values are index points, not the headline 12-month percent.
Statewide rates reflect U.S. Department of Labor state minimum-wage postings as updated January 1, 2026, the U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Note on 2026 increases, and, for the prior-year comparison and named local rates, the National Employment Law Project compilation published in November 2025. Confirm the rate that applies to the workplace before using it in a bill.
The contracts in these worksheets are fictional. The prices are chosen so the arithmetic is easy to check. They are not a price survey and they are not client results.
RateClause is not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice. Your clause controls, including whether a past period can be rebilled at all.
Primary postings: BLS Consumer Price Index, U.S. Department of Labor, state minimum wages, U.S. Department of State notice of 2026 minimum-wage increases.