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 · IOWA
IOWA — 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].
Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) requires written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified for termination. Section 562A.8 separately governs tenant notice and receipt, including a particular combined mailing method with a four-day completion rule. Please acknowledge the date this notice reaches you and identify any disagreement about the stated rental boundary, so the final rent and handover can be arranged using the relevant delivery facts.
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 · Iowa
Read the example below or enable JavaScript to complete the online form. Confirm the property location and tenancy before using the letter.
IOWA · 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].
Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) requires written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified for termination. Section 562A.8 separately governs tenant notice and receipt, including a particular combined mailing method with a four-day completion rule. Please acknowledge the date this notice reaches you and identify any disagreement about the stated rental boundary, so the final rent and handover can be arranged using the relevant delivery facts.
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
Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) requires written notice at least 30 days before the stated periodic rental date. Identify the rental boundary rather than treating the document date as proof of timely notice.
Monthly timing example
With periodic rental dates on the first, receipt on October 20 leaves only 12 days until November 1. December 1 is 42 days away. If using the combined mailing route in § 562A.8, consider its completion rule before measuring the interval; the date written on the letter is not proof of receipt.
How the rule appears in your letter
Iowa Code § 562A.34(2) requires written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date specified for termination. Section 562A.8 separately governs tenant notice and receipt, including a particular combined mailing method with a four-day completion rule. Please acknowledge the date this notice reaches you and identify any disagreement about the stated rental boundary, so the final rent and handover can be arranged using the relevant delivery facts.
Lease ending: expiration, notice and renewal
For terms longer than month-to-month, Iowa Code § 562A.34(3) requires written notice at least 30 days before the end of the first or a subsequent term. Check the agreement and renewal provisions as well as the stated lease end.
Lease-ending example
For a longer-term lease ending December 31, § 562A.34(3) requires at least 30 days' written notice before that end. Receipt on December 15 leaves only 16 days. Review the agreement and delivery method while allowing a margin before the deadline.
Nonrenewal wording in the letter
For a tenancy longer than month-to-month, Iowa Code § 562A.34(3) requires written notice at least 30 days before the end of the first or subsequent term specified in the notice. This letter communicates nonrenewal at the agreed expiration identified above. Please record receipt and identify any applicable agreement provision affecting that ending. Delivery is separately addressed in § 562A.8; the existence of a printed lease end does not eliminate the notice requirement.
Send to the right recipient and keep delivery evidence
Section 562A.8 includes tenant hand delivery, signed acknowledgment, delivery to an agent or employee at the business office, and actual receipt. Its specified combined regular-and-certified mailing route has its own four-day completion rule.
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 Iowa's four-day mailing rule cover every message or mailing?
No. Section 562A.8 ties that completion rule to a specified combined mailing route. Other methods, including actual receipt and hand delivery, must be evaluated under their own provisions.
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.
