Updated on September 4th, 2023
A lease termination letter (for month-to-month tenancies) is an official form used by tenants and landlords for ending a lease that doesn’t have a pre-determined move-out date. The standard time for terminating a lease is thirty (30) days, although many states implement their own notice lengths, such as twenty-eight (28) days, two (2) months, or ninety (90) days.
Letters: By State
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Contents |
Sample Letter
NOTICE TO TERMINATE TENANCY
Date: [MM/DD/YYYY]
To: [LANDLORD OR TENANT NAME]
Property Address: [RENTAL ADDRESS]
You are notified that the tenancy signed on [MM/DD/YYYY] for the leased premises listed above is hereby terminated in [#] days, effective [MM/DD/YYYY].
FOR TENANTS ONLY: After I move out, please mail the security deposit to [TENANT ONLY: NEW MAILING ADDRESS].
On the day of move-out, the Landlord and Tenant(s) will walk through the rental to perform a move-out inspection.
The Tenant(s) agrees to arrange for all utilities to be turned OFF upon move-out. If the Landlord would like to transfer the accounts to their name, they should inform the Tenant(s) as soon as possible.
Landlord / Tenant Signature: _____________________ Printed Name: [PRINTED NAME]
CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I certify that on [MM/DD/YYYY], I served this notice to [TENANT/LANDLORD NAME] by:
☐ – Delivering it personally to the person in possession of the Premises.
☐ – Delivering it to the Premises to a member of the recipient’s family or household or an employee of suitable age and discretion with a request that it be delivered to the person in possession.
☐ – Certified first-class mail addressed to the person in possession.
Landlord / Tenant Signature: _____________________
How to Terminate a Lease
Follow the steps below to terminate a periodic, month-to-month lease agreement.
Step 1 – Identify the State’s Notice Requirements
Because the length of notice time a landlord or tenant is required to give is based on their state’s laws, the table below should be referenced to ensure the laws are being followed correctly.
Step 2 – Download + Complete the Letter
Save the letter in PDF, Word (.docx), or OpenDocument. Word and OpenDocument are the recommended formats if the landlord or tenant intends to make edits to the document.
Step 3 – Deliver the Letter
While states mandate the way a termination letter can be delivered to the other party, sending the letter via certified mail is the recommended method for informing the landlord or tenant. With certified mail, the letter is sent by USPS, which will provide an electronic verification that the other party received the completed form (or that an attempt was made at delivery). Having said that, the landlord or tenant can often get away with sending the mail normally and/or handing it to the other party in person.
Step 4 – Prepare to Move Out / Wait
If the tenant issued the notice to the landlord, they should be focused on finding a new place to live and organizing/preparing their belongings for the move. If the landlord issued the notice, they must wait until the tenant moves out, or until the notice period has passed.
If the tenant remains in the rental after the last day passes, the landlord should begin the eviction process by filing the papers with the local courthouse. After this point, the eviction is like any other; for more information on the eviction process, read up on “How to Evict a Tenant.”
Required Termination Periods: By State
The following table provides the notice requirements landlords and tenants are required to provide the other party in order to terminate a month-to-month lease.
Note: “LL” = Landlord | “TN” = Tenant
STATE | NOTICE PERIOD | STATUTE |
Alabama | 30 days | § 35-9A-441 |
Alaska | 30 days | AS 34.03.290(b)) |
Arizona | 30 days | § 33-1368(2B) |
Arkansas | 30 days | § 18-60-304(3) |
California | LL – 30 or 60 days TN – 30 days |
§ 1946.1(c) |
Colorado | 21 days | § 13-40-107(1) |
Connecticut | Not specified | N/A |
Delaware | 60 days | §5106(d) |
Florida | 15 days | § 83.57(3) |
Georgia | LL – 60 days TN – 30 days |
§ 44-7-7 |
Hawaii | LL – 45 days TN – 28 days |
§ 521-71(a) + (b) |
Idaho | 1 month | § 55-208 |
Illinois | 30 days | 735 ILCS 5/9-207 |
Indiana | 1 month | IC 32-31-1-1 |
Iowa | 30 days | § 562A.34 |
Kansas | 30 days | § 58-2570(b) |
Kentucky | 30 days | § 383.695(2) |
Louisiana | 10 days | § 2728(2) |
Maine | 30 days | § 6002 |
Maryland | LL – 60 days TN – 30 days |
§ 8-402(c)(2)(i) and (c)(3)(i) |
Massachusetts | 30 days | Ch. 186 §12 |
Michigan | 1 month | § 534.134 |
Minnesota | 1 month (up to 3 months) | § 504B.135 |
Mississippi | 30 days | § 89-8-19(3) |
Missouri | 1 month | § 441.060(4)(1) |
Montana | 30 days | § 70-24-441 |
Nebraska | 30 days | § 76-1437 |
Nevada | 30 days | § 40.251 |
New Hampshire | 30 days | § 540:23(II) |
New Jersey | 1 month | NJ 2A:18-56(b) |
New Mexico | 30 days | § 47-8-37 |
New York | 1 month | § 232-A & § 232-B |
North Carolina | 7 days | § 42-14 |
North Dakota | 30 days | § 47-16-15(2) |
Ohio | 30 days | § 5321.17 |
Oklahoma | 30 days | § 41-111 |
Oregon | 30 days | ORS 90.427(3)(a)+(b) |
Pennsylvania | Not specified | N/A |
Rhode Island | 30 days | § 34-18-37 |
South Carolina | 30 days | § 27-40-770(b) |
South Dakota | LL – 30 days TN – 15 days |
§ 43-8-8 |
Tennessee | 30 days | § 66-28-512(b) |
Texas | 1 month | § 91.001 |
Utah | 15 days | § 78B-6-802(1)(b)(i) |
Vermont | LL – 30-90 days TN – 60-90 days |
§ 4467 |
Virginia | 30 days | § 55.1-1253 |
Washington | 20 days | § 59.18.200 |
West Virginia | 30 days | § 37-6-5 |
Wisconsin | 28 days | § 704.19(3) |
Wyoming | Not specified | N/A |