- Lease Termination Letter – By State
- What Is a Lease Termination Letter?
- What Are State Rules for Terminating Month-to-Month Leases?
- What to Do Before Writing a Lease Termination Letter
- How to Write a Lease Termination Letter as a Landlord or Tenant
- What Are Tips for Writing a Lease Termination Letter?
- What Should Landlords Do When Ending a Lease?
- What Should Tenants Do When Ending a Lease?
- What If I Need to End a Fixed Lease Early?
- Sample Lease Termination Letters
- End Your Lease With Legal Templates's Help
- Frequently Asked Questions
Lease Termination Letter – By State
Depending on where you’re ending your lease, you will want to use a state-specific form to ensure you comply with applicable legal requirements. Legal Templates offers lease termination letters for each state, so you can choose the one that aligns with your area’s legal requirements.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- 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
What Is a Lease Termination Letter?
A lease termination letter lets a landlord or tenant end a periodic lease with adequate notice. It’s often used to end a month-to-month lease, but either party can use it to end a week-to-week or year-to-year lease. A landlord or tenant will often deliver this document to the other party to clarify when the property will be vacant.
If a disagreement arises with your attempt to end a lease, a court may not side with you if you didn’t use a lease exit letter and failed to provide proper notice. Ideally, you should use Legal Templates’s lease termination letter when ending a lease to give yourself adequate protection.
Lease Termination Letter vs. Eviction Notice
A lease termination letter lets a landlord or tenant end a lease when both parties follow the lease’s terms, while an eviction notice informs a tenant that they must fix a lease violation or move out. A landlord or tenant sends a lease termination letter due to changes in circumstances, while a landlord sends an eviction notice letter due to a tenant’s non-compliance.
| Factor | Lease Termination Letter | Eviction Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Initiating Party | Landlord or tenant | Landlord |
| Voluntariness | Voluntary choice to initiate but the other party must respect it | Tenant must fix the issue or move out |
| Reasons | Mutual agreement or change in circumstances | Late rent payments, noise complaints, other violations |
| Outcome | Tenant leaves on their own | Tenant leaves on their own or landlord proceeds with eviction process |
What Are State Rules for Terminating Month-to-Month Leases?
The standard notice period is 30 days, but the notice period you must follow depends on whether you’re the landlord or the tenant and where you live. When you use a letter that accounts for your state’s notice requirements, you can comply with state laws that demand the terminating party issue a certain amount of notice before ending the lease.
To understand your obligations, review state laws regarding the notice a landlord or tenant must give before terminating a month-to-month lease.
| State | Tenants' Required Notice | Landlords' Required Notice | Laws |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days | 30 days | AL Code § 35-9A-441 |
| Alaska | 30 days | 30 days | AK Stat. § 34.03.290 |
| Arizona | 30 days | 30 days | AZ Rev. Stat. § 33-1375 |
What to Do Before Writing a Lease Termination Letter
Study state laws before writing an ending lease letter, as they dictate the amount of notice you must give. Understand the differences between landlord and tenant obligations, as your required notice period may differ depending on who you are.
You must also consult the original lease to ensure compliance with any clauses about termination. If the lease requires more notice than state law, the lease’s provisions will typically apply, as state law only provides a minimum required notice period. However, if the lease requires less notice than state law, state law will typically override the lease.
If you don’t give enough notice of termination of the lease, you might have to uphold the agreement until the legal minimum notice period ends. Understand your obligations beforehand to avoid any confusion.
How to Write a Lease Termination Letter as a Landlord or Tenant
These step-by-step instructions apply whether you’re a landlord or a tenant. Work with these steps and the Legal Templates document editor to write a comprehensive and accurate termination letter.
1. State Whether You’re the Tenant or Landlord
Identify your role in the agreement as either the tenant or the landlord. Our document editor makes this step easy, allowing you to identify yourself at the very beginning of the process. The wording will be updated in your final letter to reflect the parties’ identities. You also need to list information about the other party, either the tenant or the landlord.
List any other tenants in addition to the primary one to ensure all parties are aware of the lease’s end.
2. Provide Termination Details
The termination details should include a lease-end deadline. This timeline must comply with the laws of your state.
You can also include a lawful reason to end the agreement. State laws give guidance on what a legal versus an illegal reason is. As an example, a landlord lease termination letter might specify changing how they plan to use the property (legal) as a reason but not the cultural identity of the tenant (illegal).
If you don’t provide a lawful reason, the other party can challenge the termination. In this case, you would have to keep fulfilling your obligations under the contract until the dispute is resolved.
3. Reference the Original Lease Agreement
The letter should list the property address and the date of the original lease. By offering this information, you bring clarity and certainty to the letter. There will be no doubt that you and the other party know which lease you are ending.
4. Finalize Details
A lease termination letter should have a forwarding address. This tells the landlord where to send the security deposit or otherwise communicate with the tenant. You can use our document editor to indicate whether you want proof of service, which is an acknowledgment that someone has delivered the termination letter.
What Are Tips for Writing a Lease Termination Letter?
Keep some things in mind while writing a lease termination letter:
- Document all communication: Keep a log of email, telephone, or in-person communications with the other party before and after delivering the letter to ensure they’re aware of key details.
- Communicate intent as early as possible: Tell the other party of your intent to end the lease as soon as possible to give them time to make proper arrangements.
- Keep a copy: Retain a copy of the letter for your records so you can reference it if a dispute arises.
What Should Landlords Do When Ending a Lease?
As a landlord, you have certain obligations when you end a lease. You’ll have to return the tenant’s security deposit as outlined in your state’s laws and the lease itself, usually within 14 to 30 days. Typically, landlords can keep part of the deposit for damage repair or cleaning costs if applicable.
Follow a rental inspection checklist to assess the property’s condition. This can help determine whether you need to keep part of the deposit or do any renovations before a new tenant comes in.
What Should Tenants Do When Ending a Lease?
As a tenant, you have rights and obligations when ending a lease. You should make any necessary minor repairs and leave the unit in good condition. Follow the landlord’s instructions for moving out, such as where to deliver the keys.
If the landlord fails to return your security deposit, and you’re rightfully owed it back, talk to them about getting a partial or full refund. If speaking with your landlord doesn’t work, you can write and send a security deposit demand letter.
What If I Need to End a Fixed Lease Early?
A fixed lease is meant to last for a certain period and expire on a definitive date. If you want to end it before it expires, you can use Legal Templates’s early termination letter. Depending on your reason for early termination, you may be able to avoid or reduce financial penalties. Be sure to communicate with your landlord as soon as possible.
What If I Fulfill a Fixed Lease But Decide Not to Renew?
If you fulfill your fixed lease but don’t want to renew again, you can communicate your intent not to renew with a non-renewal letter.
Sample Lease Termination Letters
You can study lease termination letters specifically for landlords and tenants, depending on which party you are.
Sample Tenant Lease Termination Letter
Below, you can view an example of a tenant lease termination letter to understand its structure. When you’re ready, create your own via our template.
Sample Landlord Lease Termination Letter
If you’re the landlord and want to end a lease, you can view an example of a landlord lease termination letter and use our document editor to write your own.
End Your Lease With Legal Templates’s Help
Legal Templates helps you end your lease with a legally compliant lease termination letter template. You can use our document editor to communicate your intentions with the other party and draft a professional and accurate letter. By ensuring you include all relevant details, you can save time, money, and stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we mutually break a lease?
Both parties should agree on a termination date, any financial obligations, and move-out conditions and get their mutual agreement in writing.
What if the tenant doesn’t leave?
A landlord might have the option to start the eviction process against a tenant who stays after the move-out date. Check your state law for the obligations of landlords who want to evict.
Can I email a lease termination letter?
Yes, you can usually email a lease cancellation letter. However, it is important to check the original lease to see if a certain delivery method is required. If you can email the stop lease letter, it is important to follow up with the other party to verify that they have received the document.
How do I deliver a lease termination letter?
You can send your letter through certified mail. This method will issue a receipt to you as the sender, ensuring a successful delivery. You can also use a certificate of service and have the recipient sign it to prove they’ve received the letter.
What if I don’t end a periodic lease?
If you don’t end a periodic lease, it will typically keep renewing on the same terms until either party provides proper notice to end it. You can prevent unintended renewals by using Legal Templates’s lease termination letter template and following the required notice period dictated by your lease and state laws.
