What a move-out notice usually needs
A move-out (or "notice to vacate") letter tells the other party, tenant to landlord, or landlord to tenant, that the lease is ending and gives a date. What's required depends heavily on where the property is and whether the lease is month-to-month or a fixed term.
- Notice period. Common defaults are 30 days for month-to-month tenancies, but many states/cities require more (45, 60, even 90 days in some rent-controlled areas), check your local statute.
- Delivery method. Some jurisdictions require certified mail or personal delivery, not just email or text, for it to count legally.
- Fixed-term leases. If the lease has an end date, notice requirements are often different (or not required at all) versus a month-to-month tenancy.
- Security deposit timeline. Moving out starts the clock on when the deposit must be returned, see our security deposit calculator.
What to include
- Tenant and landlord names, property address
- The exact move-out date
- A statement that this is formal written notice per the lease
- Forwarding address for deposit return (if tenant-to-landlord)
- Signature and date
Because notice requirements are jurisdiction-specific and getting them wrong can delay a move-out or complicate a deposit dispute, we're intentionally not auto-generating this one, check your local tenant/landlord statute (often on your state's attorney general or housing authority site) or a local attorney before sending.