A landlord writing a lease termination letter on her laptop." width="1024" height="683" />A landlord writing a lease termination letter on her laptop." width="1024" height="683" />
A lease termination letter , or end of lease letter , is a notice provided to the tenant by the landlord to inform them that the lease will not continue after the set end date.
As the end of your lease term approaches, you and your tenant may choose to renew for another term or end the lease agreement. Should you choose to continue renting to the same tenant but want to create a new lease, you can create a customizable lease online in select locations with Zillow Rental Manager. If you plan on ending the lease with your tenant, a lease termination letter is the standard method of notification.
Note: This guide is for informational purposes only. Zillow Group, Inc. does not make any guarantees about the sufficiency of the information in or linked to from this guide, or that it’s compliant with current, applicable or local laws. Landlord-tenant laws change rapidly and may be regulated at the federal, state and local levels. This resource is not a substitute for the advice or service of an attorney; you should not rely on this resource for any purpose without consulting with a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.
A lease termination letter will typically include:
A letter detailing the termination of lease from a landlord should be clearly worded and in compliance with local landlord-tenant and fair housing laws. Be sure to consult a local attorney before sending a lease termination letter.
Step 1: Start by writing the date, your name and your contact information in an upper corner of the letter.
Step 2: Address the letter to your tenant (or tenants, if there are multiple people on the lease).
Step 3: In the first paragraph, mention the rental property address, the lease start and end dates, and the reason for the letter.
Step 4: Use the second paragraph to remind your tenant of the initial walkthrough that was completed at move in and that there’s a copy of the walkthrough attached.
Step 5: Next, let the tenant know that you’d like to do a final walkthrough at move out. Suggest a few times that work for you and ask that they pick one of them. Check with local laws, as some areas require the tenant to be present and the walkthrough to occur within a certain amount of time.
Step 6: Request that the tenant provide you with a forwarding address for any future correspondence, such as returning the security deposit .
Step 7: End your letter with a closing statement and your signature.
Here is a sample lease termination letter that you may use as a guide when writing a notice of termination of a lease . Remember to check with local laws as well as the terms of your lease for any information you may need to include in the lease termination letter .
For a month-to-month lease termination , you’ll generally be required to provide at least 30 days of notice to a tenant . However, for a fixed-term lease, you may be required to provide a 30-, 60- or 90-day notice of termination of tenancy depending on the terms of the lease and local law. There are also some instances where a landlord is unable to terminate a lease. Check your lease agreement and consult with a local attorney to determine the appropriate amount of notice to give.
For more articles, tips and tools for landlords, visit our Rentals Resource Center .
