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 end date. The standard time for terminating a notice is thirty (30) days, although many states require their own notice lengths, such as twenty-eight (28) days or one (1) month.
Notice to Comply or Quit (Violation of Lease) – A letter used for informing a tenant that breached one (1) or more conditions of the lease that they will be evicted unless the problem is fixed.
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 |
What Is a Lease Termination Letter?
A lease termination letter is a one (1) page document used for formally terminating a lease agreement that exists in one (1) month periods. The document is less serious than other termination letters, such as the “notice to pay or quit”. This is because monthly leases can be terminated for any reason, meaning the landlord isn’t issuing it with the anticipation of beginning the eviction process. Having said, the correct process for issuing the letter should be followed in the event the landlord does need to formally evict the tenant.
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 Requirement
Because the amount of notice a landlord or tenant is required to give is based upon 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, or ODT. Word and ODT (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 of their intent to end the contract. With certified mail, the letter is sent by USPS, who provides an electronic verification that the other party received the completed form (or that an attempt was made at delivery). Having said, 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 been reached.
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, view “How to Evict a Tenant”.
Required Termination Periods
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 | NON-PAYMENT | 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 | § 1161(2) |
| Colorado | 21 days | § 13-40-104(d) |
| Connecticut | 3 days | § 47a-23(a) |
| Delaware | 60 days | §5502(a) |
| Florida | 15 days | § 83.56(3) |
| Georgia | LL – 60 days TN – 30 days | § 44-7-50(a) |
| Hawaii | LL – 45 days TN – 28 days | § 521-71 |
| 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 |
| Kentucky | 30 days | § 383.695 |
| Louisiana | 10 days | CC 2728 |
| Maine | 30 days | § 6002 |
| Maryland | 1 month | § 8-402 |
| Massachusetts | 30 days | Ch. 186 §12 |
| Michigan | 1 month | § 534.134 |
| Minnesota | 3 months | § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days | § 89-8-19 |
| Missouri | 1 month | § 441.060 |
| Montana | 30 days | § 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | 30 days | § 76-1437 |
| Nevada | 30 days | § 40.251 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | § 540:2 |
| New Jersey | 1 month | NJ 2A:18-56 |
| 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 | § 47-16-07 |
| Ohio | 30 days | § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | 30 days | § 41-111 |
| Oregon | 30 days | ORS 91.070 |
| Pennsylvania | 30/15 days | § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | 30 days | § 34-18-37 |
| South Carolina | 30 days | § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | LL – 30 days TN – 15 days | § 43-32-13 |
| Tennessee | 30 days | § 66-28-512 |
| Texas | 1 month | § 91.001 |
| Utah | 15 days | § 78B-6-802 |
| 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 | § 55-248.37 |
| Wisconsin | 28 days | § 704.19 |
| Wyoming | N/A | No statute |
Sample
How to Write
Download the letter in Adobe PDF, MS Word (.docx), or OpenDocument (.odt). Once the form is open and ready to be completed, head to the first step below.
Step 1 – Landlord / Tenant Check
If the notice is being sent to a tenant, check the “Landlord” box, and vice versa.
Step 2 – Contact Information
Enter the following information regarding the recipient of the letter:
- The date (mm/dd/yyyy) the notice will be sent to the other party (most likely the current date);
- The full address of the rental unit (including unit/apt number, if any); and
- The full name of the landlord or tenant that the notice is for.
Step 3 – Notice Info & Signature
After entering all information in Step 2, enter the date that the original lease agreement was signed. Then, enter the number (#) of days that the lease will officially terminate, followed by the date (mm/dd/yyyy) of termination.
If the notice is being sent from the tenant, they should include the new address they will be living at. This is so the landlord can deliver the security deposit to them after they move-out.
The person sending the notice will need to sign and print their name to make the notice official. The notice can now be sent and/or delivered to the landlord or tenant.
Step 4 – Certificate of Service
This section is for recording how the notice was delivered or sent to the tenant(s).
Enter the date (mm/dd/yyyy) the notice was delivered and/or sent to the landlord or tenant, followed by the full name of the intended recipient. More than one checkbox can be selected. If the notice is delivered personally to the landlord/tenant, have them sign their name in the provided space.
Adobe PDF
Microsoft Word
OpenDocument