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How to Write a Notice to Vacate Letter

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Moving out of a rented apartment is often exciting and joyful. Either you’re finally getting your own place, moving to a better location, or you’ve got a new job at a different location. However, moving away is not all fun and games. One of the things that you have to do is give your landlord a notice to vacate letter.

Your landlord needs to be properly informed about your intention to move out. If you’re not sure what to include in the letter or how to write it, you’ll find all the answers below.

  • What is a Notice to Vacate Letter?

Let’s start by explaining what a notice to vacate letter is and why you need to write one when leaving the rented residence.

A notice to vacate letter is a document written by a tenant and addressed to their landlord. The letter notifies the landlord that you’ll be leaving the rented residence within a certain timeframe. This letter must be:

  • following the lease agreement
  • written clearly and professionally

Usually, you’ll be giving a 30 or 60-day notice to the landlord. However, there are other important elements you need to include in the letter.

  • How to Write a Notice to Vacate Letter?

Now that you understand what a notice to vacate letter is, it’s time to take a look at the elements you need to include in one. Here’s how to write a notice to vacate letter that is legal and serves its purpose without any trouble.  

  1. Check Your Lease

You shouldn’t start writing your notice to vacate letter before reading your previously signed lease agreement. This is to make sure you’re respecting all of the things defined by the lease, and not breaking any of the agreed terms.

Make sure to check:

  • country or state tenant/landlord laws
  • the timing requirements of delivering the letter
  • the formalities defined by the lease
  • termination clause
  • potential penalties if leaving the residence sooner than agreed
  • how to deliver the letter to the landlord

All of this may or may not be defined by your lease. If it is — make sure to respect every aspect of it. If it’s not, still write the letter and deliver it to your landlord.

  1. Open With the Technical Details

Your notice to vacate letter should start with the technical details that are necessary for proving who wrote the letter and to whom. These details include:

  • your name
  • your current address, including apartment number, city, state, and zip code
  • your phone number
  • your new address after moving
  • landlord’s name
  • landlord’s address

Make sure it’s all the same as in the lease agreement and double-check before moving to the next step.

  1. Explain Your Intention of Leaving

Now it’s time to write the section in which you explain your intention of leaving the residence. This section should be:

  • divided into paragraphs
  • two-three paragraphs long
  • clear and concise

You can start by writing “Dear (name of the landlord or the apartment company’s manager)” and then move straight up to say:

  • you’re intending to leave the residence
  • you’re writing the letter to notify them
  • it’s in agreement with your lease

Don’t beat around the bush or try to make this document personal or poetic. 

  1. Provide a Reason

You don’t have to provide a reason for leaving the residence, but it’s considered polite and professional. The second paragraph can include a line or two about the main reason behind making this decision. 

There can be several reasons such as:

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  • new job
  • life expenses increase in the area
  • getting your own place

Give your landlord insight into why you made this decision since it may come in handy for them once they take in a new tenant.

  1. Commit to Respect the Agreement

Your landlord needs to be certain that you’ll respect all of the agreed details, so make sure to put it all in writing. Tell them that you’ll:

  • leave the residence no later than a date you’ve agreed on
  • deliver the keys back
  • leave the residence in the agreed condition

Your landlord will be happy to get this written confirmation from you.

  1. Ask For The to Respect Their Obligations

If the landlord owes you any refundable deposit money or has any other obligations on their side, don’t hesitate to cover it in the letter. You don’t want to be the damaged party in this process, so write what you expect them to do as well.

There’s nothing wrong in asking for what’s legally yours.

  1. Check Letter Quality

Although the notice to vacate letter is between you and the landlord, you still need to make sure it’s professionally written. Before you send it out, make sure to:

  • proofread for spelling or grammar
  • check the structure
  • check the vocabulary

You can even have a professional take a look and make any potential changes. TrustMyPaper, Supreme Dissertations offers editing and rewriting services that you may find useful.

  1. Deliver a Hard Copy

Sending an email is the easiest version for delivering the notice to vacate letter to the landlord, but it’s not the safest one. Emails get stuck in spam or don’t even get read by the recipient.

Print out, sign, and send a hard copy of your letter to make sure the landlord receives it and gets notified in time.

Final Thoughts

Writing a notice to vacate letter is far from complicated, and anyone can do it on their own. The only important thing is that you respect everything agreed with your lease and don’t break any legal regulations.

Hopefully, the guide written above will ensure your notice to vacate letter is straightforward and professionally written.

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Derek Lotts is a Sydney based writer and researcher, a regular contributor at Smooth Decorator blog. He writes about décor, gardening, recycling, ecology and business. He thinks all of these topics fall under the self-improvement category. He believes in the power of sharing ideas and communicating via the internet to achieve betterment.

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