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 · NEW YORK
NEW YORK — 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.
NEW YORK · Outside New York City · 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 monthly tenancy outside New York City, Real Property Law § 232-b requires the tenant to notify the landlord at least one month before the monthly term expires. The notice period is tied to that term; it is not simply a fixed 30-day count. Please record when you receive this written notice and identify promptly any different end date you believe is required by the rental agreement or applicable law, 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 preview · Outside New York City
This example shows the full monthly notice wording. Choose your property's location above to fill in your own letter.
NEW YORK · OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY · MONTH-TO-MONTH TENANCY
Tenant Notice to Vacate
From · tenant
[Tenant name]
To · landlord / manager
[Landlord or manager name] [Landlord or manager's notice address]
Notice date
[Notice date]
Rental property
[Rental property address]
I, [tenant name], give written notice that I intend to terminate the month-to-month tenancy at the rental property identified above, effective [end date].
For this monthly tenancy outside New York City, Real Property Law § 232-b requires the tenant to notify the landlord at least one month before the monthly term expires. The notice period is tied to that term; it is not simply a fixed 30-day count. Please record when you receive this written notice and identify promptly any different end date you believe is required by the rental agreement or applicable law, so the final rent and handover can be coordinated.
Please acknowledge receipt of this notice and provide the applicable arrangements for returning possession and completing the final rental account.
I plan to vacate and return possession by [end date]. Please contact me to coordinate the move-out inspection and return of keys.
New York notice to vacate: timing, lease terms and letter examples
A useful move-out letter explains the tenant's plan and the rule relevant to that tenancy. New York City, monthly rentals outside the city and a lease ending on its agreed date need different treatment. Use the explanations below to choose and review your letter.
Published by Friendly Landlord · Sources checked
Scope: This tool prepares a tenant's voluntary move-out or nonrenewal letter for an ordinary private residential tenancy. Rent-stabilized, rent-controlled and other special tenancies, early lease termination and eviction disputes need separate review. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
MONTH-TO-MONTH · OUTSIDE NEW YORK CITY
Tie the notice to the monthly term
Real Property Law § 232-b lets a tenant end a monthly tenancy outside New York City by notifying the landlord at least one month before the term expires. The unit's location and the end of its rental term matter. A calendar month is not always 30 days, so adding 30 to the date on the letter is not a reliable substitute for checking the term.
Example: a calendar-month tenancy in Albany
Suppose the term runs from the first through the last day of each month, the landlord receives notice on October 20, and no additional applicable agreement term changes the analysis. November 30 allows more than one month before the term ends; October 31 does not. This illustrates the timing rule, rather than approving a deadline for a different lease or delivery date.
Illustrative wording for the landlord
I intend to end my monthly tenancy at the end of the rental term on [date]. For this property outside New York City, Real Property Law § 232-b ties the tenant's notice to at least one month before the term expires. Please acknowledge receipt and let me know promptly if you believe a provision of our agreement affects the stated end date.
Adapt the example to verified dates and your agreement. It does not assert that notice has already been delivered.
Section 232-b expressly concerns property outside New York City. Section 232-a concerns a landlord's notice to remove a monthly tenant in the city. It does not impose a matching, universal 30-day tenant notice requirement. Review any applicable tenant-notice provision in your agreement before choosing your departure date.
In Foxwood House Assoc. LLC v Yongli Xu, 2024 NY Slip Op 24029, the Queens Civil Court distinguished the outside-city rule while deciding a nonpayment case. That discussion helps explain why location matters; it does not decide whether your particular agreement requires notice or eliminate rent obligations.
Example: an ordinary monthly rental in Queens
Choose New York City, then read the notice clause in your agreement. If it specifies a method, recipient or period for the tenant's notice, review that provision's applicability before sending. The form does not substitute an outside-city one-month calculation for that review. If the agreement is unclear, resolve the uncertainty before treating the planned date as settled.
Illustrative wording for the landlord
This letter records my intended departure from the New York City rental at [address] on [date]. I understand that the outside-city rule in Real Property Law § 232-b does not apply here and that § 232-a concerns landlord notice. Please identify any tenant-notice term in our agreement that you believe affects this date, and confirm arrangements for returning the keys.
A lease can require monthly rent payments and still have a fixed end date. Choose Lease ending when you intend to leave at that agreed expiration, not when you want to leave early. Read the lease and amendments for notice, renewal and handover terms. The New York Attorney General's tenants' rights guide explains lease and renewal issues in more detail.
Although § 232-b includes an exception for a definite term, that is not a reason to ignore the agreement. If the lease automatically renews for an additional period unless the tenant gives notice, General Obligations Law § 5-905 makes operation of that clause conditional on a landlord reminder. The statute specifies written notice 15–30 days before the tenant's notice deadline, served personally or by registered or certified mail. Check the clause and any reminder together; this is not a universal 15–30-day deadline for the tenant.
Real Property Law § 232-c addresses staying after a term longer than one month. Remaining alone does not let the landlord bind the tenant to a new term solely on that basis. Accepting rent for a period after expiration can create a monthly tenancy unless an express or implied agreement provides otherwise.
Example: a lease ending December 31
Record December 31 if that is the agreed expiration and planned handover date. Check any nonrenewal deadline separately. If you instead stay into January and the landlord accepts January rent, review the resulting arrangement before continuing to use a letter that says you are leaving at the original lease end.
Illustrative wording for the landlord
I do not intend to renew the lease beyond its agreed expiration on [date]. I plan to return possession and the keys at that time. Real Property Law § 232-c addresses a possible monthly tenancy when rent is accepted for a period after expiration, subject to any different agreement. Please confirm the handover arrangements and identify any notice or renewal provision you believe requires further attention.
Match the property and recipient. The rental property address identifies the home you are leaving. The landlord or manager's notice address is where the notice is to be sent; these can be different. Check the agreement for the authorized recipient.
Separate the dates. The date written on the letter, the date it is delivered or received, and the intended end of the tenancy are different facts. A date entered in the form does not establish receipt. Leave time for the chosen delivery method.
Review the correct branch. For a monthly letter, choose inside or outside New York City. If you cannot determine the location or type of tenancy, use the source links to resolve it before signing. Read the generated legal paragraph as well as your names, dates and address.
Sign and save. Fill out the letter online or download the matching blank PDF to complete yourself. Recheck any wording you edit. Online changes require fresh signature confirmation and acknowledgment before export.
Deliver separately. Use a method permitted by the applicable agreement and law. Keep the final letter, mailing or delivery records, and any acknowledgment. Downloading, printing or signing on this website does not send the notice.
Do not assume that § 232-a's landlord service procedure automatically governs a tenant's voluntary letter. Likewise, this tool does not determine whether an email, text or portal submission is sufficient for your situation.
Common New York notice questions
Do the landlord's 30, 60 or 90 days also apply to the tenant?
Do not assume so. Real Property Law § 226-c regulates a landlord's notice of certain rent increases or nonrenewal. Its graduated periods are not a universal tenant move-out schedule. Identify who is giving notice and why before using a deadline.
Can I fill in the letter before choosing a location?
Yes. Click the letter to enter your details or edit its wording immediately. Before you sign or download, choose New York City or Outside New York City for the rental property. The unselected preview shows outside-city wording; choosing a location updates the legal paragraph while keeping your entries. Both location explanations above remain available to help you decide.
Can I use this form for a rent-stabilized apartment or leave early?
Those situations are outside this form's ordinary scope. The Attorney General's guide has separate information about regulated renewal rights and special termination grounds. Check that information or obtain legal help instead of treating this voluntary notice as permission to end a lease early.
Does the landlord have to approve the letter?
A request to acknowledge receipt helps document delivery; it is not the same as asking for or obtaining a legal release. This tool cannot decide whether the proposed date is effective or whether further agreement is needed in your circumstances.
Official sources and further reading
The statutes and court opinion below support the distinctions explained here. The sample wording and hypothetical dates are illustrations, not official court forms or findings about your tenancy.
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.
