Landlord & Housing · free generator
Lease Termination Letter
You've found your next place - now you need to leave this one without handing your landlord a reason to keep your deposit or bill you for an extra month. Most leases require written notice, delivered a set number of days before you leave, and a text message rarely counts. This letter puts your move-out date on the record, requests a walk-through inspection, and tells your landlord exactly where to send your deposit - three things that protect you if there's a dispute later. It also creates the dated paper trail that decides who wins when memories differ. Fill in the blanks below, then send it in a way you can prove: email with a read receipt, or certified mail if your landlord is the difficult type.
[Date]
[Your landlord's name]
Dear [Your landlord's name],
Please accept this letter as my formal written notice that I will terminate my tenancy at [Rental property address] and vacate the property on [Move-out date]. This notice is provided in accordance with the notice period required by my lease agreement.
I will leave the unit clean and in good condition, reasonable wear and tear excepted, and will return all keys, fobs, and garage remotes on or before my move-out date. I would like to schedule a move-out inspection during my final week, and I ask that you propose a date and time so we can walk the unit together and note its condition in writing.
Please send my security deposit, along with any itemized statement required by applicable state law, to my forwarding address: [Your forwarding address]. If any prorated rent or final utility balances apply, let me know the amounts and I will settle them before I leave.
Please confirm receipt of this notice in writing.
Sincerely,
[Your full name]
Three tips before you send
- Check your lease for the exact notice period before you pick a move-out date - 30 days is common, but many leases require 60, and the clock usually starts when the landlord receives the notice.
- Send it by email and certified mail with return receipt, and keep the green card. If your landlord later claims you never gave notice, that receipt is your whole case.
- Photograph every room after it's empty and cleaned, right before you hand back the keys. Date-stamped photos are what win deposit disputes six weeks later.
Questions people ask
Do I have to give 30 or 60 days' notice?
Your lease controls, so read its notice clause first. For month-to-month tenancies, most states require 30 days' written notice, though several states - and many individual leases - require 60. Count the days from when your landlord receives the notice, not when you write it, and note that some leases require notice to land before the first of the month.
What if I'm on a fixed-term lease, not month-to-month?
A fixed-term lease ends on its own end date, but don't assume you can just walk out: many leases auto-renew or roll into month-to-month unless you give written notice 30 to 60 days before the term ends. Leaving before the end date is breaking the lease - a different situation where you may owe rent until the unit is re-rented, though most states require the landlord to try to re-rent it.
Does my notice have to be in writing?
Almost always, yes. Most leases and most state statutes require written notice to end a tenancy, and even where verbal notice is technically allowed, you'd have no proof you gave it. Email may count if your lease permits electronic notices - check - but a printed letter sent by certified mail is the version that survives a dispute.
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