37+ Sample Notice to Quit Templates

What Is a Notice to Quit?

A notice to quit is a written document that is given by a landlord to his or her tenant. This type of notice is developed if the landlord would like the specific tenant to vacate the property being rented because of non-payment or any other breach of basic rental agreement. In most cases, a notice to quit is also made to let the tenant execute a particular call-to-action for a potential eviction to not push through. Hence, getting a notice to quit the document does not necessarily mean that you are already up for eviction. Receiving one is actually a representation of a landlord’s attempt to let you closely look into, fix, and/or resolve any items in the lease agreement that you have violated.

Reasons for Sending a Notice to Quit

The rate of eviction in the U.S. last 2016 was at 2.34% (source: statista). There are different reasons on why tenants are evicted and there are also a lot of ways on how you can prevent yourself from having the same fate. If your landlord gave you a notice to quit, review the document keenly so you can identify the reason why you are given the document and you can look into the things that you can do to stop a possible eviction in the near future. Here are some of the reasons on why landlords send a notice to quit to their tenants:

1. A Tenant Disrespects The Other Tenants in the Property

You can get a notice to quit if your activities can ruin the peace within the property and among the other tenants living in the same room, unit, floor, or building. As an example, creating too much noise during the ‘quiet time’ set by the management can lead to the disruption of other tenant’s sleep or rest time. If another tenant told the management that you are violating this particular rule and you have been proved to really do so, then you can be considered as a threat to the harmonious relationship of the entities in the property. If you are threatening the safety, living conditions, and security of other tenants; then you will most likely get a notice to quit so you can change your behavior.

2. A Tenant Violated a Lease Agreement Clause

The rules and regulations of a lease agreement varies from one property to another. With this, even if you are already used to renting, you still have to review the entirety of your new lease agreement so you can familiarize yourself with the scope and limitations of the lease term. A tenant can be evicted to a property if he or she still continues to violate a given lease agreement clause after receiving a notice to quit. Hence, if you received the particular notice because of bringing in your pets even if the property has a no pets policy, you should already decide on whether to leave the property or bring your pet to another location. The same goes if you receive the specific document because of not maintaining the cleanliness of the property. You have to decision to either look into the matter or just leave within the given deadline to avoid eviction records.

3. A Tenant Allows Other Individuals to Live in the Property Without the Knowledge of the Landlord

Properties have limitations when it comes to the number of tenants that can occupy a particular space or room for rent. With this, tenants should be aware that allowing people who are actually not identified or named as tenants of the property to stay there for a given time period without the landlord’s knowledge is an act of neglecting the lease agreement.

9 Steps for Writing an Effective Notice to Quit

Preparing a notice to quit form or document is essential to be prioritized by your business so you can have an updated and informative material to use whenever you are faced with instances where a violation or breach of a lease agreement clause has been done by any of your tenants. If you find it tedious and challenging to develop a notice to quit on your own, do not hesitate to use a step-by-step guide as your document development reference. Here is a nine-step process that can give you an easier and a much more efficient time when writing an effective notice to quit:

Step 1: Use a Printable Notice to Quit Template That You Can Modify

Find the best downloadable notice to quit template that you can maximize for the formatting of your own notice to quit document. Make sure that you will select a pre-formatted and editable template that almost looks like the notice to quit that you would like to have for your organization.

Step 2: Include the Header of the Property and a  Document Title in the Layout

To begin the placement of the notice to quit’s content in your selected layout, put the header of the property on top of the document. The header of your property rental business may include the name of the property, the address where the property is located, and the contact details where you can be reached by your stakeholders. After this, create a title that can present what the document is.

Step 3: Write the Date When the Notice to Quit Has Been Written

It is necessary for you to input the date when you actually wrote the notice to quit. Make sure that you will also specify if it is the same date in which you have handed the notice to quit to your tenant. Including the date of the notice to quit’s development can be very useful for purposes of documentation.

Step 4: Specify the Name of the Tenant to Whom the Notice to Quit Is For

Make sure that you are addressing the notice to quit to the right person. Write the complete and accurate name of the tenant in question. You can also include other information about the tenant depending on the space that you have allocated for this area of content presentation.

Step 5: Present the Details of the Rented Property

Write the room number of the tenant as well as the floor where it can be found. It is important for the notice to quit to contain this information so you can be fully aware of the area which will potentially be vacated if the tenant decides to leave the property. The details of the specific rented area or property can also make it easier for the representative of the company to look into the right rooms when seeking for updates.

Step 6: Identify the Reason/s Why the Tenant Received the Notice to Quit

Give the tenant an idea of his or her violations. Make sure that you will describe the violation being made in a specific manner. Define the violation, write the date and time when the violation has been made and reported, and align the content of the lease agreement with the action that is currently taking place. You can also provide a note in which a tenant can set a meeting if he or she thinks that the grounds for giving him or her the notice to quit is invalid.

Step 7: Give an Idea About the Ways on How and When Particular Tenancy Issue/s Should Be Resolved

Present your call-to-action. Let the tenant know that you are open for a resolution. Does the tenant want to resolve the issue? Or does he or she want to leave the property rather than having records of eviction? Give your tenant a number of options so you can come up with an agreement of what should be expected and be done within a given time frame.

Step 8: Make a Statement That Failure to Address and/or Resolve the Given Issue/s Can Result to Eviction

Be polite when specifying the possibility of tenant eviction. Remind your tenant to update you with his or her decision so you can easily track the proceedings of the transaction. Do not forget to include the deadline in which decisions should already be made.

Step 9: Write the Name of the Property’s Representative Who Made and/or Sent the Notice to Quit

To finalize the document, leave an open area at the bottom part of the notice to quit where the person who sent the notice to quit to the tenant can place his or her name and affix his or her dated signature. Make sure that you will use two copies of the notice to quit so both the tenant and landlord will have signed copies of the document.

Advantages of Creating a Detailed Notice to Quit

Last 2015, there are 2.7 million tenants or renters in estimate who faced eviction in the United States (source: redfin). To avoid being evicted from a property, tenants need to take notice to quit forms and/or documents seriously. There are many advantages that both the tenant and the landlord can get if a notice to quit can be sent to the tenant in a timely and professional manner. Here are some of the advantages of creating a detailed notice to quit:

A notice to quit can guide the tenant on what to do to avoid or stop eviction: A notice to quit is usually given if a tenant breaks an agreement clause or if he or she overlooked important responsibilities that must be delivered within a given time period based on what the tenant and the landlord has agreed upon. As a tenant, you have to make sure that you will look into the notice to quit document so you can identify what your landlord would like you to do. Failure to execute or provide a specific requirement specified in the notice to quit can lead to finalizing the decision of the landlord to file for your eviction. With these, a notice to quit can truly help a tenant to know what should be done so he or she can retain the rights to rent the property.A notice to quit can ensure any involved entities that the landlord has done the necessary and legal steps prior to evicting a tenant: There are times where tenants file for wrongful eviction. A notice to quit can be one of the documents that can prove on whether this is true or not. It is important for a notice to quit the document to be developed as it can ensure stakeholders or involved entities that a landlord has made a decision to evict a tenant legally and that he or she followed the necessary processes agreed upon by both parties within the lease agreement.A notice to quit can provide all the information about the particular tenancy issue or circumstance: Since it is already expected for a notice to quit to be informative, the specific document can document all of the necessary details about the given circumstance. From the reason why the notice has been given to the tenant up to the resolution that a tenant needs to come up with, all aligned and relevant information about the possible eviction and the ways on how to veer away from it can be found in the notice to quit. Hence, the notice to quit can be deemed as a great tool which can be optimized for reference purposes.

Dos and Don’ts for Making a Comprehensive Notice to Quit

As you create a notice to quit, there are several items that you have to always remember so you can execute your plans of action accordingly. It is important for you to not be overwhelmed when making the particular document so you can have an objective approach towards the transaction where it will be used. Below are some of the guidelines that you can look at and follow once you decide to make a comprehensive notice to quit.

Do’s

1. Do Know the Basic Rules and Regulations About Sending a Notice to Quit

It will be advantageous on your part if you will first review the rental agreement before creating a notice to quit. This can help you ensure that you are doing the right thing and that you are not abusing the rights and entitlements of your tenant. You have to be particular of the reason/s on why you are sending a notice to quit. You also have to know the proper timing on when to send the document. Review other legalities related or aligned with the circumstance so you can have a clear understanding of the notice to quit’s the purpose of usage.

2. Do Have a Discussion That Is Direct to the Point 

You have to list all the key points of the notice to quit in a precise manner. It is essential for you to be straightforward so you can make sure that your tenant can relate to and understand what you are saying. Having the notice to quit content presentation that is direct to the point can also make it easier for both parties to be on the same page with regards the matter at hand.

3. Do Consider the Rights of Your Tenant 

When creating a notice to quit, you have to make sure that you will look into the legalities of the matter. Be aware of the rights and entitlements of your tenant before sending a notice to quit. Review all angles of the transaction so you can make sure that you are doing the right thing at the right time. As a landlord, it is still necessary for you to have an unbiased manner of handling the situation even if your tenant has been proven to violate a particular clause of the rental or lease agreement.

Don’ts

1. Don’t Use a Notice to Quit That Has No Deadline

You have to consider the timeliness of your call-to-action. It is important for your notice to quit to be time-bound. Provide a time frame in which a particular action is already expected to be seen, done, or observed. Never use a notice to quit without a given deadline as this can only lead to the document’s inefficient usage. As much as possible, be particular with the date and time of your deadline so you can tell your tenants and other involved stakeholders that you have given a reminder about the matter before eviction or any other actions take place.

2. Don’t Confuse Your Tenant With What You Would Like Him or Her to Do

Your notice to quit must contain call-to-actions that are clear and specific. Do not provide any vague or misleading instructions as this can only lead to confusion and further misunderstandings. Do you want him or her to resolve the issue? Or do you want the tenant to leave the property within a given time period if he or she decides to not resolve a valid concern? Be precise when listing the things that you expect the tenant to do. Doing this can help both parties to set their expectations on what may happen next after the notice to quit has already been given.

3. Don’t Make Your Notice to Quit Seem Rude

You have to remain formal and professional as you create a notice to quit. Being rude will not do you any good especially if your tenant was able to resolve the issue and plan to stay in the property for a longer period of time. Imagine the ways on how you can interact with your tenant if you have shown rudeness through your notice to quit’s content. Properly select your language as well as the tone of the notice so you can maintain a good relationship with your tenant whether he or she will be evicted or not.

Do you want to write a notice to quit right now? We recommend you to use our downloadable samples and templates so you can be well-guided as you create an excellent notice to quit document. Make sure to browse through the discussion above so you can learn more things about the creation and usage of a notice to quit.