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 · ILLINOIS
ILLINOIS — 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.
ILLINOIS · Chicago · preview — choose the property’s actual location or tenancy before signing
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].
For this Chicago property, Illinois State Bar Association guidance describes 30 days' written tenant notice ending on the rental period's last day, subject to the agreement and applicable local coverage. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance remains relevant; its landlord Fair Notice schedule is a different obligation. Please identify any tenant-notice clause you believe affects the stated ending and acknowledge receipt so the final rent and handover can be coordinated.
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 · Chicago
Read the example below or enable JavaScript to complete the online form. Confirm the property location and tenancy before using the letter.
ILLINOIS · Chicago · preview — choose the property’s actual location or tenancy before signing
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].
For this Chicago property, Illinois State Bar Association guidance describes 30 days' written tenant notice ending on the rental period's last day, subject to the agreement and applicable local coverage. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance remains relevant; its landlord Fair Notice schedule is a different obligation. Please identify any tenant-notice clause you believe affects the stated ending and acknowledge receipt so the final rent and handover can be coordinated.
Please acknowledge receipt and coordinate the return of keys, any move-out inspection and the final rental account.
Scope: Monthly notices are available for Chicago, Evanston, and properties covered by the Cook County Residential Tenant Landlord Ordinance (RTLO). This is not a statewide monthly-notice template. Other locations, exempt properties and uncertain coverage are not supported by this monthly form. 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
The Illinois State Bar Association's tenant guide describes written 30-day notice ending on the rental period's last day, with agreement and local-law qualifications. This is tenant guidance, not an assertion that a single statewide calculation resolves every municipality.
Monthly timing example
A Chicago apartment, an Evanston apartment and a covered suburban Cook County rental do not share identical ordinance coverage. Select the actual location and check exemptions first. If the applicable agreement uses a calendar-month period and 30 days' notice, a November 30 departure requires both the period ending and enough advance notice; November 15 is only 15 days earlier.
Chicago
For this Chicago property, Illinois State Bar Association guidance describes 30 days' written tenant notice ending on the rental period's last day, subject to the agreement and applicable local coverage. Chicago's Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance remains relevant; its landlord Fair Notice schedule is a different obligation. Please identify any tenant-notice clause you believe affects the stated ending and acknowledge receipt so the final rent and handover can be coordinated.
Cook County RTLO coverage
This notice concerns the property identified above as covered by the Cook County RTLO. Illinois State Bar Association guidance describes 30 days' written tenant notice, with the agreement and local ordinance governing qualifications. The county's landlord nonrenewal duties are distinct from the tenant's notice. Please identify any applicable tenant-notice clause affecting the stated rental-period ending and confirm receipt, so the final account and return of possession can be arranged.
Evanston
This notice identifies the intended end of the Evanston monthly rental. Illinois State Bar Association guidance describes 30 days' written tenant notice ending on the rental period's last day, subject to the agreement and applicable local ordinance. Evanston's own rental requirements remain relevant. Please identify any tenant-notice or renewal clause you believe changes the stated ending and acknowledge receipt; landlord-only notice periods are not being substituted for the tenant's obligation.
Select the branch that matches the rental property or tenancy. The preview’s label does not establish that the branch applies to you.
Lease ending: expiration, notice and renewal
Check the end date, renewal terms and applicable local coverage. A clause requiring a tenant's notice can remain relevant even when the lease names an expiration date.
This option records nonrenewal at the agreed fixed lease end. It does not determine every Illinois city or county notice rule. Check the property’s local coverage and the lease’s notice and renewal terms; the monthly locality choices do not establish fixed-term compliance.
Lease-ending example
A fixed lease may state December 31 and separately require a tenant's nonrenewal notice. Review that clause and the property's local coverage. Chicago's landlord Fair Notice schedule or Cook County's landlord nonrenewal notice does not automatically become the tenant's deadline.
Nonrenewal wording in the letter
This Illinois notice expresses nonrenewal at the fixed lease's stated expiration. Illinois State Bar Association guidance distinguishes a definite lease end from periodic termination, while recognizing contractual notice requirements. Chicago, Cook County and Evanston also have distinct local coverage and renewal provisions. Please identify any applicable tenant-notice clause or local requirement you believe changes the stated end and confirm arrangements for returning possession, without treating a landlord-only notice schedule as the tenant's deadline.
Send to the right recipient and keep delivery evidence
Check the landlord or notice agent named in your lease and the applicable ordinance. Retain proof of actual delivery. Chicago, Cook County and Evanston should be examined under their own coverage rules.
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.
Does Chicago's landlord Fair Notice schedule set the tenant's deadline?
No. The landlord's notice duties must be distinguished from the tenant's agreement and applicable local requirements. Property coverage also matters in Chicago, Cook County and Evanston.
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.
