Prepare a written letter telling your landlord or property manager that you plan to move out. Choose your rental state, or start with a general letter and select your own notice period.
Choose your rental state
Select where the rental property is located. Some monthly forms require a city or county choice; Illinois has selected local coverage.
A tenant notice to vacate tells a landlord or authorized property manager when you intend to leave a rental home. It helps you put the property address, tenant names and planned move-out date in one written record, and coordinate the inspection and return of keys.
1. Choose your starting point
Select a state to review its ordinary notice information, or use the general letter to record a notice period you select. Special tenancies and early termination may need a different document.
2. Fill in the letter
Tap the address, names or dates to edit them. Add contact or forwarding information if needed. Review the complete letter before each named tenant confirms their own signature.
3. Keep your copy
Save an editable draft, download a PDF or use Print. Downloading a letter does not deliver it to the landlord. Keep your copy and a record of how and when it was delivered.
What your notice includes
The letter records the rental property address, landlord or manager, tenant names, notice date, intended move-out or lease-end date, and signatures. A general letter also shows the number of notice days you selected. Phone, email and a forwarding address can be added when useful.
State guidance or a general letter?
A state selection provides the ordinary notice wording and sources supported by this tool. Some locations or tenancy types require an additional choice. A general letter leaves out state-specific legal citations and records your intended move-out and selected notice period. Neither entering a date nor selecting 30, 60 or 90 days verifies that your notice meets all requirements.
Before you finish
Is a monthly payment the same as a month-to-month lease?
No. A lease with a fixed end date can require monthly payments. Check the actual agreement term, notice clause and renewal provisions before choosing your letter.
Can this letter end a lease early?
This tool does not establish an early release or waive rent, fees or other obligations. Leaving before the agreed end date, special termination grounds or an existing dispute may require a different process.
Do I have to choose 30, 60 or 90 days?
The general letter offers those shortcuts and a field for another number. Choose the period and planned move-out date appropriate to your situation after checking your agreement and applicable requirements. The tool does not calculate or approve a legal deadline.
Does the website send my notice?
No. It prepares a document for you to review and keep. Delivery to the correct recipient, the permitted method and any receipt deadline must be checked separately.
Where can I find the state sources?
Read the state-by-state notice guide for explanations and legal references. After opening a state form, use “Scope and sources” below the document. Check that the stated scope matches your tenancy and location. The tool does not determine whether every lease, local or delivery requirement has been met.
YOUR SELECTED FORM
FOR TENANTS · CALIFORNIA
CALIFORNIA — Tenant Notice to Vacate
Arizona is available. Other states are being reviewed.
Choose your situation, tap the letter to fill it in, then sign and keep your copy.
For an ordinary residential month-to-month rental, or non-renewal at the actual end of a fixed-term lease. Paying rent monthly does not necessarily mean your lease is month-to-month.
From: [tenant name] To: [landlord or authorized manager] Rental property: [street address and unit]
I give written notice of my intention to end the tenancy at the identified home on [ending date].
California Civil Code § 1946 ordinarily requires 30 days' notice to end a monthly tenancy, subject to an applicable different agreement. The tenant's notice can be given during the rental period; it need not always end on the last day of a calendar month. Please record receipt and advise of any agreement provision you believe changes the stated ending. Please also confirm the final rent calculation and arrangements for returning possession.
Please acknowledge receipt and coordinate the return of keys, any move-out inspection and the final rental account.
Use the correct landlord or authorized notice recipient. Follow applicable paper delivery and lease requirements, keep a copy and evidence of delivery. Downloading a PDF does not send it. Email and deemed-mailing rules differ.
Scope and sources
Ordinary private residential monthly termination or non-renewal at the agreed fixed end only. Special early termination, regulated housing, mobile-home lots and disputed terms need separate review. Local requirements may differ. The tool does not verify a legal deadline or send your notice.
Sample letter · California
Read the example below or enable JavaScript to complete the online form. Confirm the property location and tenancy before using the letter.
CALIFORNIA · Month-to-month tenancy
Tenant Notice to Vacate
From: [tenant name] To: [landlord or authorized manager] Rental property: [street address and unit]
I give written notice of my intention to end the tenancy at the identified home on [ending date].
California Civil Code § 1946 ordinarily requires 30 days' notice to end a monthly tenancy, subject to an applicable different agreement. The tenant's notice can be given during the rental period; it need not always end on the last day of a calendar month. Please record receipt and advise of any agreement provision you believe changes the stated ending. Please also confirm the final rent calculation and arrangements for returning possession.
Please acknowledge receipt and coordinate the return of keys, any move-out inspection and the final rental account.
Scope: Ordinary private residential tenancies. Local requirements, the rental agreement and special termination grounds can change the procedure. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
Identify your tenancy and the property’s actual location.
Match the ending date and delivery method to the rule and your agreement.
Review, sign and deliver the letter; keep evidence of receipt.
Month-to-month: the notice interval and rental cycle
California Civil Code § 1946 supplies the ordinary monthly notice framework. The Department of Real Estate guide explains a default 30-day tenant notice, while also discussing different agreed notice terms. Read your agreement before assuming the landlord's 60-day rule applies to you.
Monthly timing example
Under the ordinary 30-day monthly rule, notice given September 10 can identify October 10 as the ending. A 31-day month illustrates why a fixed 30-day count is different from a calendar month. Allow for the actual delivery method and check any different applicable agreement before using the example.
How the rule appears in your letter
California Civil Code § 1946 ordinarily requires 30 days' notice to end a monthly tenancy, subject to an applicable different agreement. The tenant's notice can be given during the rental period; it need not always end on the last day of a calendar month. Please record receipt and advise of any agreement provision you believe changes the stated ending. Please also confirm the final rent calculation and arrangements for returning possession.
Lease ending: expiration, notice and renewal
Check the lease's agreed ending date, nonrenewal clause and any continuation provision. Paying rent monthly during a one-year lease does not itself make that lease month-to-month.
Lease-ending example
A June 30 lease end and rent paid on the first do not alone make the lease monthly. Read the notice and renewal clause. If continued occupancy is being discussed, resolve that arrangement separately from the letter saying the lease will not be renewed.
Nonrenewal wording in the letter
This California notice concerns nonrenewal at the fixed lease's agreed expiration. The California Department of Real Estate's tenant guidance distinguishes a lease with an ending date from a periodic rental; Civil Code § 1946 addresses periodic termination. Please identify any lawful notice or automatic-renewal clause you believe affects the stated expiration and confirm the handover arrangements. The plan is to return possession at that fixed end, without proposing to shorten the agreed term.
Send to the right recipient and keep delivery evidence
The DRE guide recommends in-person delivery or certified mail with a return receipt and identifies other permitted service methods. Date the letter, state the intended end, retain a copy and verify the applicable service calculation.
The notice date records when you prepared the letter. It does not prove when the landlord received it. Keep a copy of the signed notice and the evidence relevant to the delivery method you use, such as an acknowledgment, mailing receipt or tracking record. A download or an electronic signature in this tool does not send the notice.
What to include before signing
From: the tenant name or names on the agreement.
To: the landlord or authorized manager, followed by the address where the notice must be sent.
Rental property: the home you are leaving, including its unit number; this may be different from the recipient’s address.
Dates: the notice date and the ending appropriate to the tenancy. A suggested date is editable and does not establish legal compliance.
Completion: review the wording, sign, then read and check the acknowledgment before downloading or printing.
For handwriting, choose the matching blank PDF. Its empty date fields still need the same timing review. The footer link and QR code return to this state’s online form and do not contain your personal entries.
Must a California tenant always give the landlord 60 days?
The landlord's separate 60-day rules are not a universal tenant deadline. The usual monthly tenant rule is 30 days under Civil Code § 1946, with the agreement and applicable circumstances requiring review.
What should I retain at move-out?
Keep the agreement, the final signed notice and delivery evidence together. Arrange key return and any inspection, document the home’s condition and provide a forwarding address when appropriate. Deposit accounting has its own rules; this form’s notice calculation does not determine a deposit-return deadline.
Read the linked provisions in context and check for amendments, local rules and agreement terms. Use the review-process link above to understand the dates and how to report a correction.
Prepared by Friendly Landlord with AI-assisted research and writing. Check the cited sources for your state and locality alongside your rental agreement. The tool does not determine that your notice meets every legal requirement.
