A 30-Day Notice to Landlord is a document tenants send to a landlord to notify them that they will not be renewing their lease. This notice will also inform the landlord of the date they are vacating the premises and where to send their security deposit.
Failure to send this notice may convert your expired lease into a month-to-month tenancy and result in additional rent, penalties and the withholding of your security deposit.
IMPORTANT: Depending on your state or lease agreement, you may need to provide a greater amount of notice.
Is 30 Days’ Notice Sufficient to End a Lease?
Just as landlords are required to send a notice of non-renewal to tenants, tenants have to timely notify their landlords if they intend to not renew their lease. While it’s common to refer to this document as a 30-Day Notice, the actual time you have to send this notice may vary based on your lease agreement or state law.
Notice Requirements Stated in Lease Agreement
For fixed-term leases, the lease agreement should provide the minimum time required, if any, for sending a 30-Day Notice to Landlord. Many lease agreements may require a tenant to provide notice to the landlord 60-90 days prior to the end of the lease agreement.
Lease Termination Notice Requirements by State
Some leases may contain no language for when a tenant must send a notice to the landlord to terminate their lease. This is especially likely when a tenant is in a month-to-month lease that resulted from an expired fixed-term lease.
Depending on your state, there is a specific timeframe for sending the notice. It’s important that tenants meet these timeframes to avoid any further delays in terminating their lease. See the chart below for your state’s time requirements for sending a 30-Day Notice to Landlord.
| State | Month-to-Month Lease |
| Alabama | 30 days |
| Alaska | 30 days |
| Arizona | 30 days |
| Arkansas | 30 days |
| California | 30 days |
| Colorado | 21 days |
| Connecticut | No statute |
| Delaware | 60 days (begins on the first day of the month following the date the notice was sent) |
| Florida | 15 days |
| Georgia | 30 days |
| Hawaii | 28 days |
| Idaho | One month |
| Illinois | 30 days |
| Indiana | One Month |
| Iowa | 30 days |
| Kansas | 30 days |
| Kentucky | 30 days |
| Louisiana | 10 days |
| Maine | 30 days |
| Maryland | 30 days |
| Massachusetts | The interval between days of payment or 30 days, whichever is longer |
| Michigan | One month |
| Minnesota | The interval between the time rent is due or 3 months, whichever is less |
| Mississippi | 30 days |
| Missouri | One month |
| Montana | 30 days |
| Nebraska | 30 days |
| Nevada | 30 days |
| New Hampshire | 30 days |
| New Jersey | One month |
| New Mexico | 30 days |
| New York | One month |
| North Carolina | 7 days |
| North Dakota | One month |
| Ohio | 30 days |
| Oklahoma | 30 days |
| Oregon | 30 days |
| Pennsylvania | No statute |
| Rhode Island | 30 days |
| South Carolina | 30 days |
| South Dakota | One month |
| Tennessee | 30 days |
| Texas | One month |
| Utah | No statute |
| Vermont | One rental period |
| Virginia | 30 days |
| Washington | 20 days |
| Washington D.C. | 30 days |
| West Virginia | One month |
| Wisconsin | 28 days |
| Wyoming | No statute |
Consequences of Giving Insufficient Notice
When giving notice to your landlord, make sure you have reviewed your lease and are aware of important information such as your lease’s end date. Vacating the premises early can lead to the following consequences:
- Payment of additional rent.
- Loss of security deposit.
- Additional fees and penalties.
Providing More Notice When Less is Acceptable
You do not have to give more notice than required but here’s why you should if you are able to:
- Gives the landlord enough time to secure a new tenant.
- Helps maintain a good relationship with your landlord.
- Provides a clear timeline for the tenant and landlord to finalize the move-out process.
- Provides the tenant a record of timely communication in case the landlord makes any legal claims against the tenant.
- Protects your reputation as a good tenant.
How to Write a 30-Day Notice to Landlord
Before writing your notice, review your lease and make sure you have all of the correct dates and information. Your notice should include the following information:
- Date the letter is being sent.
- Tenant’s name and contact information.
- Landlord’s name and contact information.
- Rental property address, including the unit number.
- Reference to the current lease agreement.
- Expiration date of the existing lease.
- Date tenant will vacate premises.
- Reference to the lease notice requirement.
- Specific steps tenant will take to vacate the premises.
- Tenant’s new address.
- Security deposit instructions.
- Tenant’s signature.
- Landlord’s Acknowledgement.
Avoid including any of the following information in your 30-day notice to landlord:
- Reasons for moving.
- Complaints or issues you’ve experienced.
- Statements about the condition of the property.
If you are planning on moving out at the end of your lease term, avoid making any statements that will complicate the termination. While you may want to document any issues that may arise during the move-out process you do not want to create an unnecessary dispute with your landlord.
How to Send a 30-Day Notice to Landlord
Most lease agreements will specifically state how this notice should be sent.
If not, it is recommended you send the notice in a way that requires signature confirmation to document its receipt. This can be accomplished by certified mail. Even better, send it by restricted certified mail which requires the landlord to be the only person that can sign for the notice.
You should keep a copy of this notice filed with a notation of what means were used to deliver the notice, the postmarked date, and any other relevant information.
What Comes After a 30-Day Notice is Sent?
Now that you sent your 30-Day Notice, it’s important to know what may happen next and what you need to do.
Move-Out Checklist
In a typical scenario, the landlord will acknowledge the notice and provide you with a copy of their move-out checklist (this checklist may already be included in your lease). At this point a tenant can discuss with the landlord the timing for completing the items on the move-out checklist. These include things such as:
- Cleaning the rental unit and appliances.
- Tenant’s returning the rental unit key.
- Landlord inspection.
- Return of security deposit.
Finding Your New Rental Unit
At the same time, you are closing out your old lease, make sure you have a new rental unit lined up. Ideally, you will have already had a place secured in advance. If still searching, you may want to reach out to your landlord for a reference letter to help you in securing a new rental unit.
