How to Tell Your Landlord You are Moving

Relocating to a new place can be really exciting. But before you start packing, you need to take care of other important things. Right from booking your moving company to getting your driver’s license updated, these important things need to be taken care of well in advance before your moving day. Another important thing that shouldn’t slip out of your mind is notifying your landlord about your move.

You wouldn’t want to be trapped in a situation where you’re facing a costly lawsuit for not sending a notice to your landlord, right? That’s why you need to notify your landlord about your move well in advance so that they can look for other tenants to rent or buy the house. Here are some important steps you need to remember about how to tell your landlord you’re moving.

What Is A Notice To Vacate?

A notice to vacate is nothing but a written notice where you’re informing your landlord about your move and terminating your tenancy. Regardless of the tenure of your lease, you have to send a notice letter to your landlord if you’re moving out. That’s why it’s best if you mark the date of your lease on your calendar so that you don’t miss the date. Speaking of the notice period for your letter, you’ll have to give a 30, 45, or in some cases, a 60-day notice to your landlord. Just go through your current lease agreement to know what date you need to adhere to.

How To Write A Notice To Vacate Letter?

Vacating a house or an apartment isn’t going to be as easy as moving out of your parents’ house. Before you decide to vacate your current home, you’ll have to abide by the legal requirements mentioned in your rental agreement, one of which is notifying your landlord in advance. This won’t be that difficult if you abide by the regulations on your agreement. To help you with this entire process, we’ve listed down some important steps you need to remember to send a written notice to your landlord about your move:

Step 1: Read Your Lease And Understand The Rental Agreements

As mentioned earlier, you would have to give at least a 30-day written notice before you start vacating the house. Just so you know, in certain cases, the notice period is 45 or sometimes 60 days prior to the move out date. That’s why you need to hunt the lease agreement in your important files and see to it that you check all things you have agreed on. You definitely wouldn’t want any problems on your moving day when you’re about to leave the house, right? To avoid that, make sure that you read the details regarding how the agreement can affect you in case you move out before the lease ends.

Week-To-Week Lease: In case yours is a week-to-week rental lease, you’re obliged to notify the landlord 7 days prior to your move. Just to give you an insight, suppose your weekly lease ends on July 18, then you would have to notify your landlord on July 11.

Month-To-Month Lease: Compared to the week-to-week lease, a month-to-month lease will give you a little extra time to notify your landlord and discuss ending the lease. In this case, you’re supposed to notify your landlord 30 days prior to your move. So if your lease is ending on May 31, then you would have to send a written notice on March 1st to your landlord.

Yearly Lease: The yearly lease is a long-term agreement, which means you can stay in your house till the end of your lease. If you’re planning to move elsewhere, you need to give at least a 30 days written notice to your landlord. Having said that, this term period may differ from state to state. So make sure that you check your state’s landlord-tenant law as well as your lease agreement and send a written notice to your landlord at the earliest.

Good To Know: Every lease should have a termination clause that has all the rules you and your landlord have to adhere to with respect to vacating the property. There’s also a delivery clause in the lease that states how your written notice has to be delivered to your landlord, whether by mail or in person. So see to it that you don’t miss out on these details while you’re going through your lease agreement.

Step 2: Writing The Notice To Your Landlord

Now that you’ve read all the terms and conditions of your lease agreement, let’s get started with writing the notice for your landlord. We suggest that you type the letter rather than writing it down as there is a possibility that your letter can be misinterpreted. That can cause you problems when you move out. Depending on your lease agreement, you can either mail the letter or hand it in person to your landlord, but make sure that you stick to the rules mentioned in your agreement.

Here are some things you need to keep in mind while writing the official letter to your landlord:

• Make certain that the date mentioned on your notice letter is somewhat close to the date of delivery in case you’re sending it by mail. With respect to the recipient’s address, you can check your lease agreement and find the official address of your landlord.
• You’ll have to state certain details in the letter concerning your reason for vacating the house, date of move, etc.
• Don’t forget to have a written record of the date you deliver the notice to your landlord. That’s why it’s best to choose a method that will give you proof that your landlord has received your notice. This proof can help you deal with any problems in the future concerning your move, especially if your landlord denies having received your notice.
• Always mention any remaining security deposits in your notice, in case there are any deposits that can be refunded to you. For that reason, you should mention your new address in the letter so that your landlord can refund you the deposits if there’s any delay because of your relocation.

Here’s a template you can refer to for writing a notice to your landlord:

[Your Full Name]

[Current Address Of Your House/Apartment]

[Name Of Your City, State, ZIP Code]

[Date]

[Full Name Of Your Landlord/Rental Company]

[Landlord’s Address/Rental Company’s Address]

[Landlord's City, State, ZIP Code]

Subject: Notice for vacating the residence.

Dear [Name Of Your Landlord/Manager Of Your Rental Company]

This is to inform you that I will be vacating my current residence by the end of the lease agreement on [termination date of your lease].

The reason for my departure is because of [state the reason for your move, whether it’s for job, increase in your house rent, etc. In case you’re moving because of any problems in the house or property you’re residing in, you can mention that as well to give a clear explanation for your move.]

As this notice abides by the rules in my lease agreement, I would like you to refund me regarding my security deposit of $__ [mention the amount that is to be refunded to you]. Please do note that my notice fulfills the notice period according to our lease agreement. You can send me my remaining Social Security deposit at my new address that I have mentioned below.

[Address Of Your New Home, City, ZIP Code]

I assure you that I will return the keys to my apartment/home before I move out. In case you want to discuss anything with me or have any queries about our lease agreement, you can contact me on [your phone number].

Sincerely,

[Your Full Name]

[Your Signature]

[Your Current House/Apartment Number]

Step 3: Deliver The Notice To Your Landlord

Once you have written or typed your letter, you can deliver it to your landlord. As mentioned earlier, you need to go through your lease agreement and check the delivery mode you need to use. If not mentioned, then you can do it via mail or in person. Doesn’t matter what mode of delivery you choose, see to it that you keep a record or proof of your delivery.

Good To Know: Make a mental note of the fact that your notice to vacate letter will not be valid or taken into account if it doesn’t abide by your state rules and if it hasn’t reached your landlord. That’s why you need to be extra careful with the kind of delivery mode you choose for sending the notice letter to your landlord.

Note: You might have to wait for your notice letter to travel for at least a span of 7 days via mail, in case you’re sending the letter to an out-of-state address. Don’t forget to keep a proof by sending the delivery confirmation along with the notice letter. Another important thing you need to do is keep a copy of the notice letter with you for future reference.

Step 4: Inspection Of Your Home

After your landlord has received your notice letter for vacating your house, there can be a walk-through inspection of your house. If at all you’re a resident of New York or California, this inspection is mandatory by the states. As per most lease agreements, you will need to hand over the house to your landlord in the same condition as it was rented to you. That means if there are any damages to the house, you’ll be required to fix them before your moving day. You’ll be entitled to get your refundable Social Security deposit only after fixing all the damages in your house. Having said that, most landlords will give you a certain period of time before your move to fix all the necessary damages.

Step 5: Advance Notice About The New Tenants Visiting Your House

One of the primary reasons as to why you need to notify your landlord about your move in advance is for them to search for new tenants who’d like to rent the house. Again, this is the right of your landlord and so is subject to certain rules and regulations. Even your landlord is obliged to give you a prior notice of at least 24 hours in advance for showing the house to new tenants. In certain states, the landlord is required to send a notice at least 48 hours in advance.

What Should You Keep In Mind Before Moving Out And Notifying Your Landlord?

• There are certain things you should ideally be doing before moving out of your house, first and foremost is repairing any damages to the property. Also, don’t forget to have a word with your landlord before moving out to check if all the policies and rules are met concerning your lease agreement.
• Relocating to a new place can get pretty exhausting as you have to pack and move all your belongings to a new place. It can happen that you may forget to pack a few things after you’ve reached your new destination. So to avoid such possibilities, you can make a home inventory and see to it that all your belongings are packed and transported to your new home.
• In case you have a garage or storage unit in your home, don’t forget to declutter that as well. You may have certain important tools and equipment that you’d want to take along with you. Since cleaning and packing your storage unit or garage can take a long time, you should plan this task well in advance.
• There will be some pending bills that need to be met before you move out of your house. Whether it’s your electricity bill, grocery store bills, etc, you need to pay them before your moving day.
• Regarding your Social Security deposit, don’t forget to ask for a refund from your landlord. It’s best if you mention it in your notice letter for vacating the house. Also, you’ll need to notify the post office of your change of address so that all your mail reach you at your new place. Most states have the option of doing it online, so make sure you do that without fail.

Conclusion

You may have mixed emotions when you’re relocating and moving to a new place. There will be dozens of things you’ll need to take care of prior to your move. While you’re planning your move, don’t let the landlord be the last person you inform about your move. That will just add up to your existing problems and concerns about your move. But if you’ve read our article, you surely know how to tell your landlord about your move.

FAQs

How Do I Write A Notice To Landlord To Move Out?

First of all, depending on your lease agreement, see to it that your notice is sent well in advance (in most cases, it’s 30 days) to your landlord. The following things have to be written in your notice letter:

• Your Full Name
• Your Full Address (along with city and ZIP code)
• Date
• Subject/Reason
• Your Landlord's/ Rental Company’s Full Address (along with city and zip code)
• State the reason for your move
• Your New Address
• Request For Your Social Security Deposit
• Your Contact Number
• Signature

How To Tell My Landlord I Want To Move Out Early?

If you want to move out early, it’s better that you notify your landlord beforehand. You’ll have to go through your lease agreement and then send a 30-day notice letter (in some cases 45 or 60 days notice) to your landlord. Just see to it that you mention your reason for moving early and don’t forget to write down your new address. Also, keep a record of your delivery when you mail the notice letter to your landlord.

How Much Notice Should My Landlord Give Me To Move Out?

In most cases, the landlord has to give at least a 28-day notice before asking a tenant to evict the house. Do keep in mind that this notice period depends on the terms and conditions in your lease agreement. Also, see to it that you evict the house on time, else your landlord can approach the court and get a court order to evict you from the house.

Also read: Top-Rated Movers Near You in America | How to Break Lease without Penalty | Rights and Obligations of Landlords and Tenants