A letter of intent to vacate (or “notice to vacate”) is a notice that informs a landlord that the tenant intends to leave their rental property. It’s usually the case that this letter is sent with at least 30 days’ notice of the final move out date, but the exact amount of warning required will depend on the lease in question. The signed letter will generally communicate where the landlord can send the security deposit and an acknowledgement that the property will require an inspection before the tenant finally vacates.

How to Write
Sample
Why Use a Letter of Intent to Vacate
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How to Write

A letter of intent to vacate should include all necessary information to smoothly transition out of a rental unit. This generally involves the following:

Parties Information

The tenant will need to identify themselves and the landlord and provide the full address of their rental unit.

Lease and Departure Date

The letter should indicate the date the tenant’s lease was executed and the date by which they will vacate the premises.

Address for Deposit

The tenant should provide a mailing address where the landlord can forward their security deposit. This will often be the tenant’s new home address.

Move-out Inspection

In the letter, the tenant should acknowledge that the landlord will need to inspect the premises on the final date of occupancy or when convenient for both parties.

Utilities

The letter should state that the tenant acknowledges responsibility for turning off the residence’s utilities. The landlord should provide ample notice if they wish for the accounts to be transferred to their name.

Sample

Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument

LETTER OF INTENT

TO VACATE

Date: [DATE]

[SENDER (e.g., TENANT) NAME]
[SENDER STREET ADDRESS]
[SENDER CITY, STATE, ZIP]

[RECIPIENT (e.g., LANDLORD) NAME]
[RECIPIENT STREET ADDRESS]
[RECIPIENT CITY, STATE, ZIP]

RE: Intent to Vacate Rental Unit

1. THE TENANT. [TENANT NAME] (the “Tenant”).

2. THE LANDLORD. [LANDLORD NAME] (the “Landlord”).

3. LOCATION OF PROPERTY. [PROPERTY ADDRESS] (the “Premises”).

4. TERMINATION OF LEASE. The purpose of this Letter is to inform the Landlord that the Tenant intends to terminate their lease, dated the [DATE OF LEASE].

5. VACATE DATE. The Tenant shall vacate the premises no later than [DEPARTURE DATE] days after the delivery of this letter.

6. SECURITY DEPOSIT. The security deposit shall be returned to the following address, in full or minus any deductions: [RETURN ADDRESS].

7. MOVE-OUT INSPECTION. The Landlord and Tenant agree to inspect the Premises together on the final date of occupancy or any date that the parties have agreed upon.

8. UTILITIES. The Tenant shall be responsible for turning off all utilities when they move out. The Landlord must inform the Tenant in a timely manner if they wish to transfer the accounts to their name.

Tenant’s Signature: ___________________

Why Use a Letter of Intent to Vacate

A letter of intent to vacate creates a written record of the tenant’s plan to terminate the lease, avoiding miscommunication and confusion. The letter will inform the landlord where they’ll be able to send the tenant’s security deposit and ensure they are aware of the tenant’s final date of residency. Overall, providing a letter of intent to vacate is an appropriate and courteous way to bring a tenant-landlord relationship to a close.

Letter of Intent to Vacate