Lease Termination Letter Template
All states | 2 types
Template Description
Did you get a notice of lease termination signed while taking a property on rent? If not, your landlord can refuse to end a lease agreement early. Even though they aren't legally required to do it, a notice of lease termination might be able to convince your landlord.
But you need to follow a specific format for drafting a lease termination letter for your landlord. It’s best to use a notice of lease termination template. But before using this template, gather details about early termination of lease and related documents.
What Is a Notice of Lease Termination?
Early termination of the lease agreement helps release you from a contract with your landlord before the predetermined time. You never know when to break the lease with your landlord due to unavoidable circumstances. But sending a notice of lease termination is a polite way of explaining your situation to your landlord. Your landlord is not legally required to release you of the lease agreement after receiving the letter.
But accepting a notice of lease termination often works in favor of the landlord. Ultimately, none of the parties wants to get involved in a costly and lengthy eviction process.
Parties of the Notice of Lease Termination
Whenever a tenant wants to send a formal request to the property management company or the landlord for early termination of lease, they must send them a notice of lease termination. Given this, it is clear that this legal form concerns two parties here:
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Tenant: A tenant issues and sends an early termination of lease letter to the other party (landlord) when they want to terminate the rent/lease agreement early or before the stipulated time. From the name, address, and contact details to the reason for termination and date of evacuation, the tenant must mention it all in their notice of lease termination.
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Landlord: The landlord is the owner and controller of the property that they rent out on lease. The tenant sends the notice of lease termination to the landlord for their approval of an early termination request. The landlord may or may not respond to the termination request. However, tenants can still vacate the place once they pay the penalty or fine, as mentioned in the lease agreement.
Key Terms
- Tenant’s Name: Tenant's [your] name and contact information, such as phone number.
- Tenant’s Address: The address of the tenant where they currently reside and want to vacate soon.
- Requested Date of Termination: The date (exact date) on which you plan to leave or vacate your current residence.
- Reason for Termination: It signifies why you want or need an early termination of lease.
- Fees and Penalties: It is the compensation the tenant (you) must make for terminating the lease early.
- Keys and Property: It emphasizes when and how the tenant will return the property's keys to the landlord.
- Forwarding Address of the Tenant: Mention the future address where the landlord can forward any message or mail.
- Dates and Signature: Here, the tenant (you) will put a signature along with the current date.
Reasons Tenants Want an Early Lease Termination
Tenants may desire to break their lease early for various reasons. Private, financial, property, and situational changes are a few of these causes. Understanding the motives behind a tenant's request to end their lease early and send a notice of lease termination will help the landlord develop a mutually agreeable resolution. So, here is a brief explanation of the reasons why tenants now seek an early termination of lease agreement template:
Active Military Duty
In accordance with the War and National Service Members Civil Relief Act, your renters have the right to end their lease early when they must leave for active military duty.
In such cases, the renter must submit a notice of lease termination, mentioning their willingness to provide a 30-day notice period. They won't have to make payments for rent after the notice period.
Military Deployment
The Service Members Civil Relief Act allows and permits members of several prestigious institutions to terminate their leases and outline it in a notice of lease termination template.
These institutions include the United States Public Health Service, the National Guard, and the Armed Forces. However, they can only submit an early termination of lease letter when designated for active duty in some far-off regions.
Also, the notice of lease termination must highlight the willingness of the tenant to serve a 30-day notice period.
Domestic Violence
Another reason tenants seek an early termination of lease is to vacate the place and move somewhere safer where they won’t be a victim of stalking, sexual assault, or domestic violence.
To determine your obligations if your tenant cites this as the reason for termination in their notice of lease termination, examine your state's laws. Even if your state fails to protect victims, you may ensure that your tenant has access to a safer setting by allowing them to transfer without incurring fees.
Here are the other reasons tenants look for an early termination of lease agreement template:
- Job loss: There’s no point for a tenant to stay in your property at rent when they cannot pay the necessary rent. Letting them break the lease with a notice of lease termination takes much less time, effort, and money than pursuing an eviction or involving a collection agency.
- Privacy invasion: No matter if you’re the property owner, you cannot enter anytime you want once you rent it out. Almost 50% of the US states have laws regulating and monitoring landlords’ access and control over their rental property.
- Illness or divorce: Unanticipated circumstances such as sickness or divorce might put a tenant in a difficult financial situation. Therefore, these can be regarded as valid justifications for requests in early termination of lease letters.
Should You Let the Tenant Find a Sublet?
Before you agree to let the tenant find a sublet, check their notice of lease termination. Then, weigh down the pros and cons to better decide whether to let the tenant find a sublet. Here’s what you should look out for:
- You could soon fill your unit with it.
- You could spend less on advertising.
- Realizing that your apartment is being rented out and that you continue to receive your rent payments can make you feel more at ease.
- It's possible that you can't filter the subletter.
- You might have to handle issues with the subletter.
What Is Included in the Notice of Lease Termination?
A tenant can terminate their lease earlier than the predetermined end date by using a notice of lease termination template. The notice time, associated fee and charges for the early termination, and any additional conditions that need to be satisfied if one wants to end the lease early are normally outlined in the agreement. So, here are a few things included in the early termination of lease letter:
Submit a notice of lease termination with a minimum of 30 days of notice period.
Each renter participating in the termination must put it in writing and sign it.
The price of the early termination charge is normally 1-2 months' rent.
Once the landlord gets the signed notice of lease termination and the termination fee, the lease will be considered officially ended.
The tenant(s) will pay any outstanding fees or additional rent before leaving.
An early termination of lease typically calls for tenants to provide a notice of lease termination to the landlord and may even charge a fee. Given the complexity of the process, understanding what’s included in this legal template is crucial for both the tenant and the landlord.
How To Write a Notice of Lease Termination
Outlining and drafting a notice of lease termination can be tricky. Following the right procedures is important because doing otherwise could have negative legal ramifications.
Although a notice of lease termination template saves the hassle of outlining and drafting the entire agreement, knowing what to write when filling one can be of big help:
1. Describe the Landlord in Detail
No matter if your notice of lease termination template outlines what to write and what not, knowing the specifics beforehand saves you time while filling one. Now, the first thing to write is your landlord’s details, which are their full name and the address of their residence. The place of residence should not necessarily be the location of the building the renter is renting or leasing.
2. Complete The Property Information & Lease Agreement
The next part to fill out in your notice of lease termination regards the property to rent and the original lease agreement details. Precisely, you should mention the start and end dates of your lease, address of the property, and the date of vacating this property. The latter may also mean the day when you as the tenant will move out of the property.
3. Justify the Reason for the Lease Termination
Give the tenant's reasons for wanting to break the lease, for instance, a change of employment or a major family event such as death or divorce. While highlighting the reason for early termination of the lease isn't necessary, landlords could be tempted to terminate a lease early when they know the tenant's predicament or troubles.
4. Include The Security Deposit Info
Most frequently, the tenant paid a security deposit at the start of the lease. The security deposit might be forfeited, demanded back, or used for another purpose by the tenant. Depending on your circumstances, the landlord may decide not to return the security deposit. But if they do, they will require an address to send the money. So, on the notice of lease termination, mention your entire name and new address where the landlord should send the security deposit.
When To Use a Notice of Lease Termination
If you need an early termination of lease before the agreed-upon period, use a notice of lease termination. This may be required if you are relocating for a new job, returning to school, or experiencing financial difficulty. Typically, a tenant or renter like you may need to use an early termination of lease agreement template under the following circumstances:
Moving to a new job. You could have to move before the end of your lease if you land a new job in a different city.
Health crisis. You have to shift or relocate to some other city or nearby medical center because you or one of your family members is hospitalized or has a severe medical problem.
Common Use Cases
In a notice of lease termination, the tenant makes a formal, legal request to cancel their lease agreement before time. But what are the common scenarios when tenants have no choice but to send an early termination of lease letter? Let’s find out:
- New job transfer: If you've accepted a new position in a different city, you might need to relocate before beginning your new position.
- Healthcare emergency: You might need to relocate early to be closer to a hospital or other forms of medical care if you or a family member encounters a medical emergency.
- Personal factors: Occasionally, you could need to relocate early due to personal factors like an annulment or a death in the family.
When Not To Use the Notice of Lease Termination
A formal request to cancel your lease arrangement early is made in a notice of lease termination template. There are specific circumstances, nevertheless, in which you shouldn't use it. For instance, you might have to pay a penalty for early termination of lease if it is still in effect. Here are some other circumstances when using a notice of lease termination is inappropriate:
- Unless an early termination of lease provision is included in your lease.
- If you're not ready to pay the early termination cost.
- If you get along well and spend quality time with your landlord.
Additional justifications for abstaining from using a notice of lease termination include:
- It is becoming challenging to come across a new tenant.
- You may end up paying twice as much rent.
- Your credit score could be harmed.
If you fail to meet any of these criteria as a tenant, you may need to convince your landlord to give a way out of your lease early in your notice of lease termination. However, not arranging with your landlord may compel you to stay in the rental unit until the lease agreement’s expiration date.
Related Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Including an advance warning in your notice of lease termination is unnecessary. Only in the event of an early eviction does the notice period apply. Depending on the specifics of your lease contract, you might or might not be required to give a notice of lease termination before ending your lease early. Most leases stipulate that tenants must give at least 30 days' notice before leaving. Nevertheless, some leases might permit notice periods that are shorter, longer, or even absent altogether.
Although there's nothing to worry about the specific format when using a notice of lease termination template, this is how it goes:
“Dear [Full Name of the Landlord],
I’m writing this lease termination letter to inform you and make you understand my intentions to leave and vacate this property at [the current address] by [the date at which you will vacate the place entirely]. My lease began on [date] and expired on [the mutually agreed-upon termination date].”
Depending on the conditions of the rental agreement and state regulations, you might be able to end your lease prematurely without incurring any fees. Your state's provisions and regulations will determine if you can end your lease early without incurring any fees.
In general, a notice of lease termination is considered a contract, and both parties must carry out their responsibilities thereunder. This implies that when you accept a twelve-month lease, you're responsible for paying the full year's rent, even if you must vacate the property early.