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    Free notice to vacate form (30-day notice and more)

    A notice to vacate is a short written notice that ends a tenancy on a specific date: it names the landlord and every tenant, identifies the rental unit, states the date the notice is given and the date the tenant must move out, and is signed by the person giving it. A 30-day notice to vacate is the same document with a 30-day notice period; this form also handles 60-day, 90-day and custom periods, works for landlords and tenants, and counts the move-out date for you.

    Last reviewed: · by MakeLease Editorial Team

    Notice to Vacate generator

    Notice type

    Who is giving the notice?

    Parties

    Everyone named on the lease. Separate names with commas.

    Dates

    Notice period

    Use the longer of what your lease and your state or city require.

    For month-to-month tenancies with rent due on the 1st: moves the date to the last day of the month in which the notice period ends.

    Leave empty to use the calculated date. You can choose a later date.

    Details

    Only include a reason if your lease or local law requires one.

    Blank PDF

    Free, no account needed. Showing example details. Replace them with yours.

    Notice to Vacate

    Landlord's notice ending the tenancy

    Date of notice:November 1, 2026
    Rental property:123 Maple Street, Unit 4, Springfield
    To:Alex Morgan, Sam Rivera
    From:Jordan Lee

    To Alex Morgan, Sam Rivera and all other occupants:

    This is written notice that the landlord is ending your month-to-month tenancy at 123 Maple Street, Unit 4, Springfield. Your tenancy will end on December 31, 2026. Please move out, remove all of your belongings and return possession of the premises on or before that date.

    How the move-out date was counted

    This notice is given on November 1, 2026. Thirty (30) calendar days after that date is December 1, 2026. The rental period in which that day falls ends on December 31, 2026. The tenancy therefore ends on December 31, 2026.

    Move-out

    • Return all keys, fobs, garage openers and access cards to Jordan Lee on or before the move-out date.
    • The landlord would like to schedule a move-out inspection. Please contact Jordan Lee at (555) 010-2030 to arrange a time.
    • Please give the landlord your forwarding address in writing so your security deposit and any itemized statement of deductions can be sent to you.

    Questions about this notice can be sent to Jordan Lee at 500 Oak Avenue, Springfield or (555) 010-2030.

    Landlord or agent signature (Jordan Lee)
    Date

    Delivery record

    This notice was delivered on __________ by (check one):

    • [ ] Hand delivery to the person named above
    • [ ] Certified mail, return receipt requested (tracking no. ____________________)
    • [ ] First-class mail
    • [ ] Other method allowed by the lease: ____________________
    Person delivering signature
    Date

    Made free at make.lease/forms/notice-to-vacate

    What to include in a notice to vacate

    • Who is giving notice to whom. The landlord's name and mailing address and the full name of every adult tenant on the lease. A landlord's notice is addressed to the tenants "and all other occupants."
    • The exact property. Street address and unit number, written the same way as on the lease.
    • The type of tenancy being ended. A month-to-month tenancy, another periodic tenancy, or a fixed-term lease that will not be renewed (with its end date).
    • The notice date and the move-out date. Both as full calendar dates, plus the notice period. This form prints the arithmetic so nobody has to guess how the date was reached.
    • Move-out logistics. Key return, how to schedule the move-out inspection, and a forwarding address for the security deposit. See our security deposit law guides for return deadlines in your state.
    • A reason, only if required. Only include a reason if your lease or local law requires one.
    • Signature and a delivery record. The signature of the person giving notice and a note of how and when it was delivered.

    How much notice is required?

    There is no single national notice period for ending a private residential tenancy. The required notice is set by state law, sometimes by city or county ordinance, and by your lease, and it can differ depending on who is giving notice, the type of tenancy (month-to-month, week-to-week, fixed-term) and how long the tenant has lived there. Use the longest period that applies. Look up your state in our state landlord-tenant law guides before you pick 30, 60 or 90 days.

    About the 30-day notice. Thirty days is a common period for month-to-month tenancies, which is why "30 day notice to vacate" is the phrase most people search for. It is not a universal rule: depending on the state and the situation, the required period may be shorter or longer, and your lease can require more notice than the law does.

    A federal rule for some properties (CARES Act)

    One federal provision can apply regardless of state law. Under 15 U.S.C. 9058(c), the lessor of a "covered dwelling" may not require the tenant to vacate before the date that is 30 days after the lessor provides the tenant with a notice to vacate. A covered dwelling is a rental unit on a "covered property": a property that participates in a covered housing program listed in 34 U.S.C. 12491(a) (which includes, for example, public housing, Section 8 and the low-income housing tax credit program) or the rural housing voucher program, or that has a federally backed mortgage loan or federally backed multifamily mortgage loan. If your property may fall into one of those categories, read the statute and get advice on how it applies to your notice before choosing a period shorter than 30 days.

    Worked example: how the move-out date is counted

    Say a landlord gives a 30-day notice to vacate on November 1, 2026 to a month-to-month tenant whose rent is due on the 1st. This form counts calendar days (weekends and holidays included), starting the day after the notice date:

    StepResult
    Notice givenNovember 1, 2026
    Add 30 calendar daysDecember 1, 2026
    "End on the last day of a rental period" checkedDecember 31, 2026 (end of the rental month containing December 1)
    Same notice, 60 daysDecember 31, 2026 (already a month end, so the period-end option does not change it)
    Same notice, 90 daysJanuary 30, 2027 (with the period-end option: January 31, 2027)

    The document then says, in plain words:

    This notice is given on November 1, 2026. Thirty (30) calendar days after that date is December 1, 2026. The rental period in which that day falls ends on December 31, 2026. The tenancy therefore ends on December 31, 2026.

    Why the period-end option exists

    Some leases, and the rules in some places, require a periodic tenancy to end on the last day of a rental period; elsewhere any date after the notice period may be fine. Check your lease and your state before relying on either. The checkbox is a conservative option: it never makes the date earlier, only later. It assumes rent is due on the 1st; if your rental period runs on a different cycle (for example, the 15th to the 14th), use the move-out date override instead.

    Leave margin for delivery

    States differ on when a notice counts as given (the day it is handed over, the day it is mailed, or a few days after mailing) and on whether the first or last day is counted. This form does not try to apply any one state's rule. If you are mailing the notice, or you are not sure how your state counts, deliver it a few days early or set a later move-out date with the override. Check your state in our state landlord-tenant law guides.

    A notice to vacate is not an eviction notice

    This form ends a tenancy at the end of a notice period. It is not a pay-or-quit notice (for unpaid rent) or a cure-or-quit notice (for a lease violation). Those are separate documents with their own state rules on timing, wording and delivery, so make sure you are using the right document for your situation.

    • Use this notice to end a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy, or to confirm that a fixed-term lease will not be renewed.
    • Use a different notice if you are responding to unpaid rent or a lease violation. Start with your state's page in our state landlord-tenant law guides.
    • Ending a fixed-term lease early is a different question. The form warns you if the move-out date is before the lease end date; check your lease, or see the lease termination letter.

    Landlord notice vs. tenant notice

    Switch the "Who is giving the notice?" option and the document changes with it. A landlord's notice is addressed to the tenants and all other occupants, is signed by the landlord or agent, and can ask the tenant for a forwarding address. A tenant's notice is written in the first person ("I" or "we"), gives the tenant's forwarding address for the security deposit, offers to attend the move-out inspection, and has a signature line for every tenant you list.

    Either way, both sides should keep a copy. The optional delivery record at the bottom lets the person delivering the notice note the date and method. For the move-out itself, pair this notice with the move-in/move-out checklist.

    Notice to Vacate by state

    Each state page shows that state's cited rules for this document and opens the form preset for the state. States missing from the list don't have enough statewide rules in our dataset yet; use the form above and check your state's statute.

    Delivery tips

    • Follow the notice clause in your lease first. Many leases say how notices must be delivered (in person, by mail, to a specific address). Your state may also set the permitted methods; check your state's landlord-tenant law.
    • Use a method that creates proof. Certified mail with a return receipt (USPS calls it Return Receipt) gives you a dated record of mailing and delivery. Hand delivery works too if you get a signed, dated acknowledgment or bring a witness.
    • Leave a margin on the dates. Deliver early enough that the full notice period fits even if the tenant receives it a few days after you send it. States differ on when a mailed notice counts as given, so don't cut it to the day.
    • Keep a complete copy. Save the signed document, the mailing receipt, the tracking printout and any reply. Store them with the lease.
    • Serve every tenant on the lease. Address the notice to all adult tenants, and if you deliver by hand, give or send a copy to each one.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is a 30-day notice to vacate the same as an eviction notice?

    No. A 30-day notice to vacate ends a tenancy at the end of the notice period, usually a month-to-month tenancy or a lease that is not being renewed. An eviction-related notice, such as a pay-or-quit or cure-or-quit notice, responds to a lease violation and follows its own state rules on timing and content.

    Can a tenant use this form to tell the landlord they are moving out?

    Yes. Choose "Tenant to landlord" at the top of the form. The wording switches to the tenant's voice, every tenant gets a signature line, and the notice asks the landlord to send the security deposit and any statement of deductions to the forwarding address you enter.

    Does the notice period start the day I deliver it or the next day?

    It depends on your state, and sometimes on how the notice is delivered. This form counts calendar days starting the day after the notice date and shows the arithmetic in the document, so the other party can see exactly how the date was reached. If you are unsure how your state counts, add a few days of margin or choose a later move-out date.

    Do I have to give a reason in a notice to vacate?

    Only include a reason if your lease or local law requires one. The reason field is optional and is left out of the document when it is empty. State and city rules can affect this, so check them on our landlord-tenant law pages before you deliver the notice.

    Can I pick a later move-out date than the calculated one?

    Yes. Enter it in the move-out date override field and the notice will use it. If the date you enter is earlier than the notice date plus the notice period, the form shows a warning so you can double-check before you deliver it.

    Sources

    Sources last checked 2026-10-26.

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