Lease termination letter template
A lease termination letter is a tenant's written notice that they're moving out: the date, the reason, where to send the deposit, and when the keys come back. This template adds one thing a plain letter lacks, a signature from the landlord confirming they received it, so nobody argues later about when notice was given.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Tenant
- Landlord
Lease Termination Letter (Tenant's Notice to Move Out)
Date: Letter date
To: Landlord or property manager, at Landlord address for notices
From: Tenant name, tenant of Rental property address (the "Property"), under a lease dated Lease date.
1. Notice to end the tenancy
This letter is my written notice that I will end my tenancy and move out of the Property on or before Move-out date. I am giving this notice because (tick one):
- My lease term ends on or before the move-out date and I am not renewing it.
- I rent from month to month, and this letter gives at least the notice my lease and state law require.
- I am ending the lease before its term ends. I understand that I may owe rent until the Property is re-rented or the lease ends, as the lease and the law provide, unless a legal right to end early applies to me.
If I am ending early under a specific law, such as the federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act or a state law protecting survivors of domestic violence, I have attached or will provide the documents that law requires. Details: Early termination details
2. Move-out inspection
Please contact me to arrange a move-out inspection. I would like to be present if possible. Days and times that work for me: Inspection availability. I will leave the Property clean and empty, apart from normal wear and tear, and will take dated photos when I leave. Where the law gives me the right, I would like an initial inspection before I move out, so I can fix anything you note before the final one.
3. Security deposit
Please return my security deposit, less any lawful deductions with an itemized list, within the time the law requires, to this forwarding address: Forwarding address. If you can pay it electronically, my preferred method is: Preferred refund method.
4. Keys, utilities and showings
- I will return all keys, fobs, remotes and parking passes on or before the move-out date to: Where to return keys.
- I will close or transfer the utilities in my name as of the move-out date.
- Until I move out, I will allow showings to prospective tenants or buyers with the notice the lease and the law require.
- Rent remains due as the lease provides until the end of the tenancy.
- I will remove all my belongings. I understand that anything left behind may be handled as state law allows for property a tenant leaves.
5. How to reach me
Phone: Tenant phone Email: Tenant email
Other adults on the lease who are also moving out: Other tenants moving out. Each of them should sign their own notice unless the lease says one notice binds everyone.
6. Landlord's acknowledgment of receipt
By signing below, the Landlord confirms receiving this notice on the date shown next to the Landlord's signature. Acknowledging receipt does not mean the Landlord agrees that the notice period or the move-out date meets the lease, and neither party gives up any right under the lease or the law by signing. Landlord's note, if any: Landlord note
Electronic signatures on this letter count as original signatures. This letter is a notice under the lease and does not change any other term of it.
I have checked my lease's notice clause, including how much notice it requires and where notices must be sent.
Tenant giving notice
Landlord acknowledging receipt
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
When you need a termination letter
Most leases require written notice before you leave, even at the end of a fixed term, and a month-to-month tenancy always needs notice to end. A phone call or a text to the landlord is easy to dispute; a signed letter with a date isn't. Use this one when:
- Your lease term is ending and you won't renew.
- You rent month to month and want to give the notice your lease and state require, commonly 30 days.
- You need to end a lease early, for example because you've received military orders, which the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act covers, or under a state law for survivors of domestic violence.
Property managers send the same form the other way: when a tenant calls to say they're leaving, emailing them this letter gets the date and a forwarding address in writing, signed, before the unit goes on the market.
What the letter includes
- Who and where: the landlord's notice address from the lease, the tenant, the property and the lease date.
- The move-out date and the reason: tick boxes for end of term, month-to-month notice or early termination, with room for details.
- Move-out inspection: a request to be present, and the times that work for the tenant.
- Deposit: a forwarding address and a preferred refund method, with a reminder of the itemized-deductions rule.
- Keys, utilities and showings: where keys go back, closing utilities, and allowing showings with proper notice.
- Co-tenants: anyone else on the lease who's leaving too.
- The landlord's receipt: a signature confirming the date the notice arrived, without either side giving up rights.
Mistakes that cost tenants their deposit
- Counting the notice period wrong. Some leases and states count from the next rent due date, not the day you send it. Give a few extra days if you're unsure.
- Sending it to the wrong place. Leases often name an address or method for notices; check the notice clause and use that, as well as the e-signed copy.
- Forgetting the forwarding address. Without one, the deposit refund and the itemized list may go to the apartment you just left.
- Skipping the walk-through. Ask to be there for the inspection and take dated photos of every room as you leave.
- Assuming early termination is free. Unless a law like the SCRA applies, you may owe rent until someone new moves in. Ask the landlord about a buyout before you sign elsewhere.
Landlords: eviction notices are different
This template is for a tenant giving notice. A landlord ending a tenancy or starting an eviction must follow state notice rules, and the federal ESIGN Act doesn't cover notices of default or eviction for a primary residence. Serve those the way your state requires.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the letter
Choose Use this template and it's added to your SignMaster account with two signers: the tenant first, then the landlord.
- 2
Fill in the property details
Complete the gray blanks: the date, the landlord's notice address, the property, the lease date and where keys go back. Whoever sends the letter fills these in.
- 3
Add the tenant and the landlord
If you're the tenant, add yourself as the tenant and your landlord's email as the second signer. If you manage the property, add your tenant first and yourself second.
- 4
The tenant gives notice
The tenant picks a move-out date, ticks the reason, adds a forwarding address and signs. Then the landlord signs the acknowledgment, which records the date it was received.
- 5
Both keep proof
Each side gets the signed PDF with a certificate of completion showing who signed and when. Keep it until the deposit has been settled.
End-of-term notices for a whole building
Before a busy move-out season, such as the end of a school year, a manager can ask every resident whose lease ends that month to confirm in writing whether they're leaving. Bulk send makes one envelope per row of a spreadsheet, with columns named after the gray blanks like Rental property address and Lease date. Residents who aren't leaving can use Decline with a reason instead of signing, which tells you who to send a renewal.
Questions? Answers.
How much notice do I have to give to end a lease?
Check your lease first, then your state. Month-to-month tenancies commonly need 30 days, some states require more for long tenancies, and many fixed-term leases also ask for notice before the end date.
Can I give notice to my landlord by email?
Often yes, if your lease allows notices by email or doesn't specify a method. If the lease names a mailing address or method, use it as well. The landlord's e-signed acknowledgment proves the date they received it.
Can I break my lease early without paying?
Only in specific cases, such as military orders under the SCRA, some state protections for domestic violence survivors, or a landlord's serious breach. Otherwise you may owe rent until the unit is re-rented, depending on your state.
Does signing the acknowledgment mean the landlord agrees to my date?
No. Section 6 says the signature confirms only that the notice arrived. Whether the notice period was long enough still depends on the lease and the law.