Lease Termination Letter (30-Day Notice to Vacate)

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Updated April 14, 2023

A lease termination letter allows a landlord or tenant to cancel a month-to-month lease in accordance with state law. A termination letter can be sent at any time during the course of a tenancy-at-will and commonly gives 30 days’ notice to vacate the premises.

Send By:

  • Certified Mail (USPS) – Recommended option that gives a receipt to the sender after successful delivery.
  • Certificate of Service – For hand-delivery or any other state-approved option. It is best to have the recipient sign to prove they have received the termination letter.

By State

 

Table of Contents

Other Types (2)

(Early) Lease Termination Letter – Used by a landlord or tenant to cancel a lease before it ends.

Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument

 

 

 

Notice to Quit – Used by a landlord if the tenant has violated the lease which is most commonly due to late rent but can be for any type of lease violation.

Download: Adobe PDF, MS Word, OpenDocument

 

 

How to Terminate a Lease (5 steps)

Step 1 – Review Your Lease

landlord reviewing lease agreement on laptop

In most month-to-month leases, the minimum time period to terminate is included. If not, the state-required notice period should be used.

Step 2 – Contact the Other Party

landlord on phone with tenant

Before sending the notice, communication should be made to inform the other party of the intent to terminate.

For example, if the landlord is terminating the lease, this will help both parties organize and schedule the best time for the move-out.

Step 3 – Send the Notice

closeup of certified mail envelope

It is highly recommended to give notice in 2 ways:

Step 4 – Schedule the Move-Out

closeup of certified mail envelope

After the notice has been sent, it is advised to schedule a move-out date. In larger residential complexes, it’s best to inform management in the case of an elevator or other resources that need to be reserved.

Step 5 – Filing an Eviction (if necessary)

court judge signing eviction ruling

In the event a tenant refuses to vacate the premises, the landlord will have to seek an eviction lawsuit in the local housing court.

Even if the tenant mentions they will not vacate the premises, the landlord is required to wait the full notice period before filing a lawsuit.

Required Notice (By State)

State Minimum Termination Required Statute
 Alabama 30 days § 35-9A-441
 Alaska 30 days § 34.03.290(b)
 Arizona 30 days § 33-1375
 Arkansas 30 days § 18-17-704
 California 30 days for tenancy 1-year or less, 60 days for tenancy of more than 1-year § 1946
 Colorado A tenancy for one year or longer, three months; A tenancy of six months or longer but less than a year, one month; A tenancy of one month or longer but less than six months, ten days; A tenancy of one week or longer but less than one month, or a tenancy at will, three days; A tenancy for less than one week, one day. § 13-40-107
 Connecticut 3 days § 47a-23
 Delaware 60 days Title 25 §  5106
 Florida 15 days § 83.57
 Georgia 30 days § 44-7-7
 Hawaii The landlord must give at least 45 days’ notice, the tenant must give at least 28 days’ notice. § 521-71
 Idaho 30 days § 55-208
 Illinois 30 days 735 ILCS 5/9-207
 Indiana 30 days § 32-31-1-1
 Iowa 30 days § 562A.34
 Kansas 30 days § 58-2570
 Kentucky 30 days § 383.695
 Louisiana 10 days CC 2728
 Maine 30 days Title 14 § 6002
 Maryland 60 days § 8-402
 Massachusetts 30 days § 186-15B
 Michigan 30 days § 554.134
 Minnesota 30 days § 504B.135
 Mississippi 30 days § 89-8-19
 Missouri 30 days § 441.060
 Montana 30 days § 70-24-441
 Nebraska 30 days § 76-1437(2)
 Nevada 30 days NRS 40.251
 New Hampshire 30 days § 540:11(2)
 New Jersey 30 days § 2A:18-56
 New Mexico 30 days § 47-8-37
 New York 30 days § 232-b
 North Carolina 7 days § 42-14
 North Dakota 30 days § 47-16-07.2
 Ohio 30 days § 5321.17
 Oklahoma 30 days § 41-111
 Oregon 30 days § 91.070
 Pennsylvania 15 days for tenancy 1-year or less, 30 days for tenancy of more than 1-year § 250.501
 Rhode Island 30 days § 34-18-37
 South Carolina 30 days § 27-40-770
 South Dakota The landlord must give at least 30 days’ notice, the tenant must give at least 15 days’ notice. § 43-32-13
 Tennessee 30 days § 66-28-512
 Texas 30 days § 91.001
 Utah 15 days § 78B-6-802
 Vermont 60-day notice for tenancy 2 years and under and 90-day notice for tenancies of more than 2 years. § 4467
 Virginia 30 days § 55.1-1253(A)
 Washington 20 days if served by tenant and notice requirements vary if served by landlords. RCWA 59.18.650
Washington D.C.  30 days § 42–3505.54(a)
West Virginia 30 days § 37-6-5
 Wisconsin 28 days § 704.19
 Wyoming No minimum No statute

Sample Termination Letter

LEASE TERMINATION LETTER
(FOR MONTH-TO-MONTH TENANCY)

Effective Date: March 1, 2022

RE: NOTICE TO TERMINATE LEASE

Dear Jon Smith,

I, Pete Anderson, as your Landlord am sending this letter as official notice with the intention of terminating the lease dated on May 1, 2022. In accordance with governing law, the lease shall be terminated upon 30 days from the date you receive this notice.

If any refundable deposits were made by the Tenant, they shall be disbursed a mailing address to be provided later.

In addition, the Landlord and Tenant agree to the following:

It is recommended that both the Landlord and Tenant perform a move-out inspection of the premises to inspect any damage (less wear and tear);

All possessions are required to be removed from the premises within the notice period; and

The Tenant agrees to arrange for all utilities to be turned off upon move-out.

Please contact me at (555) 555-1234 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

Pete Johnson