Moving out

Notice to vacate letter generator — 30/60-day, print-ready

Fill in your details, check your move-out date against your state’s tenant notice minimum, and print a clean letter for your landlord. Free, no signup, no paywall on the PDF.

This is general information, not legal advice. Notice rules change and your lease can require more notice than state law — verify against your lease and state statute before sending.

Last updated: July 2026

Tenant name(s)Landlord / property managerRental address (street, unit, city, state, ZIP)

StateMove-out date

Delivery methodForwarding address (optional — for your deposit)Reason (optional)

Notice-period check

Your date clears the state minimum

August 7, 2026 gives 35 days' notice — at or above California's 30 days minimum for month-to-month tenants (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1). If your lease requires more, the lease controls.

Most statutes count notice to the end of a rental period — if rent is due on the 1st, plan to move out on the last day of a month.

[Tenant name(s)]

[Rental address]

July 3, 2026

[Landlord / property manager name]

Landlord / Property Manager

RE: Notice of intent to vacate — [Rental address]

Dear [Landlord / property manager name],

Please accept this letter as my written notice of intent to vacate the rental unit at [Rental address]. My tenancy will end and I will deliver possession of the premises no later than August 7, 2026. This provides at least 30 days of written notice, as required for month-to-month tenancies in California (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1).

I will remove all personal belongings, return all keys and access devices, and leave the unit in clean condition, normal wear and tear excepted. Please contact me to schedule a move-out inspection.

I will provide a forwarding address for the return of my security deposit before my move-out date.

This notice is delivered via certified mail with return receipt requested on July 3, 2026.

Sincerely,

[Tenant name(s)]

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How the notice to vacate letter generator works

Pick your state and the tool loads the notice minimum a month-to-month tenant owes there — 30 days in most states, but 7 in North Carolina, 20 in Washington, 21 in Colorado, 28 in Hawaii and Wisconsin, and 60 in Delaware. As you type, the letter renders live with today’s date, your move-out date, a deposit forwarding-address line, and an inspection request. The date checker compares your move-out date against the state minimum and flags a date that is too close.

Nothing you type leaves your browser, and printing uses your browser’s built-in save-as-PDF — the same letter many form sites put behind a paywall. Moving out mid-month? Pair it with the prorated rent calculator to figure your final partial month.

How to write a notice to vacate

A notice to vacate is a dated, signed letter telling your landlord the exact date you will move out. To write one, state the rental address, your move-out date, a forwarding address for your deposit, and how the letter is delivered — sent at least the state-required number of days before you leave.

The notice math is:

Delivery date + state minimum (e.g., 30 days) ≤ move-out date — usually landing on the last day of a rental period.

If rent is due on the 1st, most statutes expect the notice to run to the last day of a month — give notice on June 1 to leave June 30, not June 12 to leave July 11.

Worked example: 30-day notice in California

Maria rents month-to-month in Sacramento with rent due on the 1st. She wants to be out by the end of July 2026.

State minimum (tenant)	30 days — Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1
Move-out date	July 31, 2026
Latest safe delivery date	July 1, 2026 (31 − 30 days)
Delivered June 26	35 days of notice — compliant, with margin for mail time
Delivered July 19	Only 12 days — the checker flags it: “California requires 30 days — your date is only 12 days out.”

Tenant notice periods by state (month-to-month, 2026)

Tenant-side written notice required to end a month-to-month tenancy. Landlord notice periods differ in several states (see FAQ). Compiled from state statutes such as Fla. Stat. § 83.57, RCW 59.18.200 and Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1. Where no tenant-side statute exists, the row says so instead of guessing. Last updated: July 2026.

State	Tenant notice	Statute	Notes
Alabama	30 days	Ala. Code § 35-9A-441(b)	—
Alaska	30 days	Alaska Stat. § 34.03.290(b)	—
Arizona	30 days	Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1375(B)	—
Arkansas	30 days	Ark. Code § 18-17-704(b)	—
California	30 days	Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1946, 1946.1	Tenants give 30 days. Landlords must give 60 days once you have lived there 12+ months.
Colorado	21 days	Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-40-107(2)(c)	Applies to tenancies of one month or longer but less than six months (the month-to-month tier).
Connecticut	No statute — check your lease	No tenant-side statute	Connecticut law sets no tenant notice minimum for month-to-month tenancies; 30 days is customary.
Delaware	60 days	25 Del. C. § 5106(d)	The 60-day period starts on the first day of the month after notice is given.
District of Columbia	30 days	D.C. Code § 42-3202	Landlords generally cannot end a tenancy without cause in D.C.; this row is the tenant side.
Florida	30 days	Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3)	Raised from 15 to 30 days in 2023 — older templates still say 15.
Georgia	30 days	O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7	Tenants give 30 days; landlords must give 60.
Hawaii	28 days	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71(b)	Tenants give 28 days; landlords must give 45.
Idaho	1 month	Idaho Code § 55-208	—
Illinois	30 days	735 ILCS 5/9-207	The statute is worded for landlords; Illinois practice applies the same 30 days to tenant notices. Check your lease — Chicago leases often set their own terms.
Indiana	1 month	Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1	—
Iowa	30 days	Iowa Code § 562A.34(2)	—
Kansas	30 days	Kan. Stat. § 58-2570(b)	—
Kentucky	30 days	Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.695(2)	Applies in URLTA jurisdictions (Louisville, Lexington, and others); elsewhere your lease controls.
Louisiana	10 days	La. Civ. Code art. 2728	Notice must be given at least 10 calendar days before the END of the month.
Maine	30 days	14 M.R.S. § 6002	—
Maryland	1 month	Md. Real Prop. § 8-402(b)	Tenant side. Landlords must give 60 days (§ 8-402(c)), and Baltimore City and Montgomery County have local quirks.
Massachusetts	30 days or 1 rent interval	Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 12	The interval between rent days or 30 days, whichever is longer.
Michigan	1 month	Mich. Comp. Laws § 554.134(1)	—
Minnesota	1 rental period	Minn. Stat. § 504B.135(a)	At least one full rental interval (capped at 3 months). Monthly rent = one month’s notice.
Mississippi	30 days	Miss. Code § 89-8-19(3)	—
Missouri	1 month	Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060.4	—
Montana	30 days	Mont. Code § 70-24-441(2)	—
Nebraska	30 days	Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437(2)	—
Nevada	30 days	Nev. Rev. Stat. § 40.251	—
New Hampshire	30 days	N.H. RSA 540:11	30 days’ written notice is the standard; confirm against your lease.
New Jersey	1 month	N.J. Stat. § 2A:18-56(b)	Tenants give one month; landlords generally need just cause under the Anti-Eviction Act.
New Mexico	30 days	N.M. Stat. § 47-8-37(B)	—
New York	1 month	N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 232-b	One month for tenants outside NYC; inside NYC check your lease. Landlords owe 30/60/90 days by length of occupancy (RPL § 226-c).
North Carolina	7 days	N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14	Just 7 days before the end of the rental period — the shortest in the country.
North Dakota	1 month	N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-15	—
Ohio	30 days	Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17(B)	—
Oklahoma	30 days	41 Okla. Stat. § 111(B)	—
Oregon	30 days	Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.427	Tenant side. Local rules (e.g., Portland) mainly add requirements for landlords.
Pennsylvania	No statute — check your lease	No tenant-side statute (68 P.S. § 250.501 covers landlord notices)	Pennsylvania sets landlord notice-to-quit periods (15/30 days) but no tenant minimum; 30 days is customary.
Rhode Island	30 days	R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-37(b)	—
South Carolina	30 days	S.C. Code § 27-40-770(b)	—
South Dakota	1 month	S.D. Codified Laws §§ 43-32-15, 43-32-13	One month either way (§ 43-32-15); a tenant may give 15 days after a landlord’s notice changing lease terms, such as a rent increase (§ 43-32-13).
Tennessee	30 days	Tenn. Code § 66-28-512(b)	Applies in URLTA counties (most metro areas); elsewhere your lease controls.
Texas	1 month	Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001	Notice equal to the rent-paying period — one month when rent is paid monthly.
Utah	Check your lease	Utah Code § 78B-6-802 (landlord notices)	No clear tenant-side statute; 15 days before the end of the period is the common benchmark.
Vermont	1 rental period	9 V.S.A. § 4456(d)	Tenants give at least one rental payment period; monthly rent = one month’s notice.
Virginia	30 days	Va. Code § 55.1-1253(A)	—
Washington	20 days	Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200	20 days or more before the end of the rental period.
West Virginia	1 month	W. Va. Code § 37-6-5	—
Wisconsin	28 days	Wis. Stat. § 704.19(3)	28 days, and the notice can only end on the last day of a rental period.
Wyoming	No statute — check your lease	No statute	Wyoming sets no notice minimum; 30 days is customary and your lease controls.

Notice to vacate FAQ

Is a notice to vacate letter legally binding?

A dated, signed, written notice generally starts your notice period once delivered. This tool provides general information, not legal advice — your lease and state statute control, so verify both before sending.

Does my landlord have to give me the same notice?

Often not. Georgia landlords owe 60 days while tenants owe 30; Hawaii is 45 vs 28; California landlords owe 60 days after 12 months of occupancy; New York landlords owe 30–90 days by length of occupancy. This tool writes the tenant letter.

My lease says 60 days but my state says 30 — which wins?

Follow the longer notice in your lease. State minimums are defaults; a lease can require more notice, and courts generally enforce the lease term you agreed to.

Do I need a notice to vacate on a fixed-term lease?

Fixed-term leases usually end on their own, but many require 30–60 days’ written non-renewal notice or they auto-renew month-to-month. Leaving before the term ends is early termination — a different process with possible penalties.

How should I deliver the letter?

Certified mail with return receipt or hand delivery with a dated copy are safest — you can prove when notice was given. Some leases allow email or a tenant portal; keep a copy and note the delivery date either way.

What about my security deposit?

Include a forwarding address in the letter — most states require landlords to return the deposit (or an itemized deduction list) within a set window, commonly 14–30 days after move-out. Check your state’s deposit statute.

Next step

Letter done? Line up the move

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