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“Weeeeell, it’s been nice but I’ma head out.” is a great way to excuse yourself from a lot of things… However, it is NOT a good way to move out of your apartment! When it’s your time to vacate the premises, if you don’t want to face legal consequences or burn bridges with your soon-to-be-former landlord or property manager, you’re going to have to write stuff.
You’ll need a Move Out Notice or an intent to vacate to give notice to your landlord ahead of time. This will make the move or transition as seamless as possible and ensure you get your security deposit back and avoid bad referrals. Not everyone is a wordsmith though, so this is Smartland’s guide (and sample) of a Move Out Notice. And we’re a property manager. We know this stuff!
Where To Start
The first thing you need to do is go back over your rental agreement or lease agreement. Different apartments or rentals may require different things from you. Some places may want 30 days notice, others may need less or more. Also, you need to find out if there are any restrictions, fees, or a specific kind of notice required of you. Do you need to write it out on paper? Does an email suffice? These will all be in the terms of your lease.
Write Your Notice
Most places are going to require an actual document (which, thankfully, is what we have a sample letter for) so you’ll need to type it out. Unless you’re a professional calligrapher, avoid writing it by hand so there’s less of a chance for someone to misread it. Your written notice doesn’t have to be fancy or Shakespearian, but it does need to hit a few bases. Here’s the basic setup: Your Info, Date, Landlord or Property Manager Info, Body, Your New Info, Name and Signature. If you need a pre-made template, download our sample letter below and fill in the blanks!
Special Delivery
After you have your finely written finished letter to your landlord, you have to deliver it. If it’s acceptable you can email it, but most places require an actual document for records. If that’s the case, you can mail it in to your property manager. You can also deliver it by hand to the leasing office if you’re in an apartment. You can drop it off at the office on the property or their local office. Whichever way, make sure you get it into the proper hands. It’s best not to just drop it off somewhere; you want to know the proper people are getting it.
Keep Those Receipts
If you follow this format, you’ll definitely have a smooth move out! However, you end up sending it, make sure you have some kind of receipt or proof of sending. Keeping copies is just a wise precaution you should use whenever you have important documents.
And now you’re all set to move out and move on in your life! Following these steps should help ensure you get to move out easily, get your security deposit refunded in full, and avoid any legal or financial problems with your landlord or property manager. Just another way to not just live, but live well.
Having trouble finding that new place to move? Start HERE, we’ll help you out!
