Giving notice is the first step of a clean move-out, and it protects your security deposit. This free generator builds a clear, correctly worded notice to vacate from your details. Fill it in, copy or print it, and send it to your landlord.
TL;DR: Enter your name, your landlord, the rental address, and your move-out date, and the tool writes your notice to vacate. Most month-to-month tenancies need 30 days’ written notice, so check your lease and state. Adding a forwarding address helps you get your deposit back.
Fill in your details and the move-out letter updates live. Copy it, then email or post it to your landlord.
A template to adapt, not legal advice. Check your lease and state for the exact notice period; most month-to-month tenancies need 30 days. Send it so you can prove delivery (email plus certified mail). Look up your state's deposit rules →
When to send your notice, and how much to give
The safe default is 30 days’ written notice for a month-to-month tenancy, but it is not universal. Some states require more, a few less, and your lease may set its own period. For a fixed-term lease, you usually leave at the end of the term, though many leases still ask for a written heads-up 30 to 60 days out. So before you pick a date, read your lease and check your state, then count back from the day you want to leave.
Send the notice by a method that proves delivery. Email gives you a timestamp; certified mail gives you a receipt. Sending both covers you if the landlord later claims they never got it.
Make the notice protect your deposit
A notice to vacate is also your chance to tee up the deposit return. Two additions do most of the work.
- A forwarding address. In several states the landlord’s return deadline does not even start until you give one in writing, so put it in the notice.
- A request for a move-out inspection. Walking the unit together, or at least on notice, heads off disputes about damage before they start.
Pair the notice with dated move-in and move-out photos and you have the full record you need. Once you have handed back the keys, your state sets the clock on the deposit return.
This tool is general information, not legal advice; leases and state rules vary, so confirm your notice period against your lease and state law. Last reviewed July 2026.
Renting somewhere new?
know.place maps honest, structured experiences of specific buildings, the rent, deposit, water, and power, from people who have actually lived there, so you can vet a place before you sign.
Related: Security deposit laws by state · How much rent can you afford? · Apartment viewing checklist
More tools: All free renter tools
