How to Give a 30-Day Notice to a Landlord

Written by Teo Spengler; Reviewed by Jann Seal, Licensed Real Estate Sales Associate. Former California Real Estate Sales Associate.; Updated November 28, 2018

Think of your 30-day notice as your goodbye letter to your landlord. But it's not just a courtesy, it's the law. Renting real estate is a business relationship, no matter how friendly you may be with the property owner. And the law requires that to end a periodic tenancy, you provide a month's notice. While you can find forms online for a 30-day notice, a simple, do-it-yourself letter will also do the trick.


A written, certified letter addressed to your landlord and delivered 30 days before your tenancy ends is sufficient in most states for legally ending a landlord-tenant relationship.

Periodic Tenancy Vs. Lease

A periodic tenancy is usually called a month-to-month, meaning that you pay rent at the beginning of a month in order to live in the unit that month, then do the same thing the next month. With a month-to-month, you have the option of ending the tenancy at any time with 30 days' notice.

Before you begin drafting your 30-day notice, make doubly sure that you didn't sign a lease. Unlike an open-ended periodic tenancy, one that lasts as long as the tenant pays rent, a lease is for a set term. You may sign a lease for a six-month period, but most residential leases are for a year. Although you may make monthly lease payments, like with a month-to-month, you do not have the option of giving 30 days notice at any point and moving out. Unless the landlord breaks the agreements in the lease, the tenant must stay there the entire period, or at least pay the rent due for that period. Many leases still require a 30-day notice to either vacate or sign another lease term, so check your lease contract for the specifics.

On the other hand, if the basic lease term is done and the tenant stays on without a new lease, the tenancy becomes a month-to-month ccupant. Once this happens, you can end the tenancy with a 30-day notice.

Ending a Month-to-Month

In popular cities like San Francisco, where finding an apartment is as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack, many renters stay on and on unless evicted. But this isn't the case where there is no rent control holding down rent increases, and where there is ample housing to go around. And even in San Francisco, a tenant sometimes is transferred to the New York office or joins the Peace Corps and is forced to end a tenancy. So what's the legal way to terminate a month-to-month tenancy?

Details may differ between jurisdictions but the basic 30-day notice is not complex. You need to give your name, your property address and the name of the person to whom you are giving notice. You should state the date you are delivering the notice and the date that you will be out of the unit. You'll also want to provide a new address where the landlord should refund your security deposit. This is a legal document, so sign at the bottom.

Note that in some jurisdictions, the 30-day notice must take effect on a rental due date. Assuming you are paying on the first of the month, your 30-day notice should be given 30 days before and specify the first of the month as the date you are out. For example, if you want to vacate in May, draft and deliver the notice before April 1 and list April 1 as the date the 30-day notice takes effect.

How to Deliver the Notice

Some states require personal (hand) delivery. Others permit you to mail the notice. It's a good idea, if you are mailing, to use a delivery method that creates a written record of the date of mailing and the date of delivery.

Secure Your Security Deposit

If possible, invite the landlord to do a walk-through with you prior to your concluding your tenancy. Take pictures. Get his agreement on any damages you may be liable for, or his approval that there are no damages. This is additional security for his returning your full deposit.

About the Author

Teo Spengler


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