45+ Sample Notices to Vacates

Notice to Vacate: What Is It?

Notice to vacate refers to the official written notice of cancellation to a rental or lease which a tenant must provide to the landlord before leaving the premises at a specific schedule. Since you are about to leave from an apartment or residence, it is expected that the room you rented will be vacated; hence, the need for a 7-day notice, 30-day notice, or any other period, depending on the circumstances. And the rented property will finally be vacated during the due date or end date of the agreement.

According to Statista’s 2017 research survey, 77.3% of American respondents agreed that the leading cause for renters receiving eviction notices was due to nonpayment.

Also, it is generally known that a notice to vacate is required for rentals of any period, particularly if your lease already has an end date.

Why Is a Notice to Vacate Important?

A notice to vacate letter or form is essential so tenants can send an official notification to their landlords that they intend to vacate the rented property in the future. It is naturally sent around 30-60-90 days early so the landlord or the tenant can find a replacement for who gets to stay at the premises once vacated. Also, it is needed to submit first or the tenant might face an expensive lawsuit or security deposit without informing the landlord about moving out. In fact, Apartment Guide said that the notice to vacate is required for rentals of any schedule, especially if the lease has an end date already.

Besides the intent of a tenant to move out, sometimes submitting it is required if the tenant himself/herself committed a lease violation. An example is due to nonpayment, which has been reported that in 2017, 77.3% of respondents in America agreed that nonpayment was the top cause for renters to receive eviction notices. Hence, violators may be forced to vacate the premises, and providing the notice is still important in doing so.

The Basic Components of a Notice to Vacate

While you already know the notice to vacate’s definition and importance, it is time to familiarize what the common elements are found inside this notice in the first place. Indeed, the notice’s content may differ from one example to another. But generally, a notice to vacate’s components consist of the following:

Date: First things first, write the date of when the notice was written. And it should show that you followed the notification requirements. For example, the schedule given should be according to the time frame mentioned in the lease contract or agreement. So if you are given about 30 days before moving out, then the date provided must be 30 days early before vacating.Tenant’s Details: The tenant should identify his/her details so the landlord will know who wrote the notice in the first place. Start by mentioning your name, address, and contact details. State if you have a family member, friend, or roommate living with you in the rent as well. Whatever makes it clear that the landlord can recognize you will be your goal.Landlord’s Details: Next, write the landlord’s name, address, and contact number. This written notice will already be a legal document and it is crucial to include the correct information of the landlord reference. In fact, it would be hard to deliver the document without mentioning the landlord’s address, which might delay your plans to move out.Date to Move Out: Of course, you have to mention the exact date of your last day to stay in the rented property. This part tackles the clear schedule of the day you finally move out.Reason for Moving Out: Although this part is not always required, it is still formal to include the reason for moving out. A landlord would naturally wonder why you want to move out may it be due to the high rental fees, a new job opportunity, or anything. Unless it was caused by a violation or eviction notice, then you need to clarify the reason.Property Details: Some landlords own more than one property. So it only makes sense to be very specific with the apartment or space you rented from the property’s name, address, and room number. The exact address will help landlords keep track of which premises to advertize for future renters.Walk-Through Request: A last walk-through request is important so landlords could see if the rented property is still in good shape. If everything is in bad condition, then you might not receive your security deposit. Hence, tenants should also be responsible for keeping rooms intact to avoid failing in the walk-through evaluation.Relevant Clause from the Agreement: Take a review from the lease or rental agreement and copy the exact sentence mentioned there that covers the amount of time allowed to send a notice to vacate. As you write down the relevant clause, it quickly sends a message that you followed the right instructions based on the agreement, which landlords can’t say no to.Forwarding Address: Sometimes, a forward address is needed at the end of the notice to vacate. That is for the sake when landlords need to contact you or send you a mail to your new address soon, like your security deposit.

How to Process a Notice to Vacate

Are you ready to make your own notice to vacate? From everything you learned from the discussion earlier, you are clearly ready to craft the said document. In fact, it gets easier when you base on the sample templates provided above this article. And it couldn’t get any easier as you follow these six steps on how to process your own notice to vacate shortly:

Step 1: Review the Lease Agreement

First of all, it is crucial that you review the original rental or lease agreement. Reviewing helps you see the requirements on how to move out. While it is standard that 30-day notices are expected, some landlords may need you to prepare at least 60 or 90 days prior. Also, you can check from the agreement how much security deposit will be received and other regulations to observe until you finally move out peacefully and legally from the premises.

Step 2: Download a Sample Notice to Vacate

To start putting your notice into writing, download from any of the sample notice to vacate templates listed above. Samples make the process easier for you since the rest of the components, format, and details are already premade. Hence, you only need to provide additional details and customize according to how you want the notice to look. In fact, every sample is easy to edit, download, and print—promising you a convenient and quick experience to produce such notices.

Step 3: Add the Important Components in the Notice

You are already familiar with the basic components of a notice to vacate, as previously discussed. Thus, add each component that is relevant to your document. From the date down to the forwarding address, ensure that you have inserted them into the notice. The best part is that such components are already a smart way to organize the details in the document. Each component represents a clause or section of your notice, making it an easy-to-follow structure.

Step 4: Set a Polite Tone

Upon writing notices, always be cordial or polite. Planning to move out should leave a positive message rather than ending things badly. There is no need to write about unnecessary complaints of your stay in the apartment or threats to the landlord. In fact, impolite messages may only drive the landlord to reject your letter, making it more difficult to move out. Think as if you are writing a formal letter rather than being too personal though.

Step 5: Keep It Detailed yet Straightforward

Balance the concept of giving detailed but straightforward information. Landlords don’t have time to read lengthy messages that could have been shortened if they were direct to the point. More so, don’t do it to the point where it is too short that it lacks the details and significant parts. The key is to write only what is asked. Or perhaps, just write about the crucial components of a notice to vacate. If it is brief, solid, and easy to understand, then it is good to go.

Step 6: Finalize the Notice’s Format and Submit

Be sure to finalize the notice to vacate’s format, design, and output before actually submitting it. You can go for a printed copy to send to the landlord personally or just send it via email. You only do that if you are sure that the details are error-free; otherwise, problems might pop up. And if you are confident enough with its output, you are ultimately ready to submit it.

FAQs

What are other names of a notice to vacate?

A notice to vacate can sometimes be referred to as a notice of intent to vacate, intent to vacate letter, or a move-out notice.

Is a notice to vacate still needed if you break a lease?

Yes, preparing a notice to vacate is necessary even when you have broken a lease agreement. An example is when you were given an eviction notice due to a certain violation. There may be fees to settle upon leaving to fix the issue but a notice to vacate is still relevant to set the formal time frame of when you shall move out.

Is it okay to just talk with the landlord about moving out?

Yes, talking with the landlord is even recommended to be done first before writing the notice to vacate. However, a written notice to vacate is still important to have official documentation that you followed the requirements in terminating a lease. Consider the documented record as your protection in case things head to court between you and your landlord.

Since you already know what to cover for a basic notice to vacate, be sure to always process it before you move out to any property under lease in the future. Because just like in employment, going AWOL is discouraged. And the same thing can be said to tenants who move out without notifying their landlords. Thankfully, you are more than prepared as you use the sample notice to vacate templates for easy reference. Download now!