Basic Information About Moving Out

Learn your rights when you move out of your rental housing, including how to tell your landlord you're moving out, what happens if you need to break your lease, and more.

What important terms should I know?

Lease: A written rental agreement for a set period of time (such as one year) and a fixed amount of rent.

When should I tell my landlord I want to move out?

You may give notice any day of the month. But there are rules about how many days notice you must give:

Month-to-month renters: Give your landlord written notice 30 days before your move-out date (or 33 days if you mail the notice.)
Week-to-week renters: Give your landlord written notice 10 days before your move-out date (or 13 days if you mail the notice.)
Renters with a lease: Give your landlord written notice at least 30 days before your lease ends. If you do not do this, your lease automatically becomes a month-to-month agreement. If you need to break your lease, go the next question.

What if I need to move before my lease ends?

You can ask your landlord if you can move out sooner without having to pay rent or a lease-break fee. Your landlord does not have to say yes. But if your landlord agrees, get their agreement in writing.

If your landlord doesn't agree that you can move out early, they can require you to:

Keep paying rent until they find a new renter; or
Pay a fee for breaking your lease. This fee can be up to one-and-a-half times your monthly rent. But your landlord can only charge you a lease-break fee if it was part of your written rental agreement.

If you move-out early, your landlord must:

Try to rent the unit to someone else, and
Not charge you rent after the unit has a new renter.

In some situations, you can break a lease without paying a lease break fee:

Your landlord has disobeyed the lease or a housing law; or
You are a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking or sexual assault.

How do I give notice to my landlord that I want to move out?

Give your landlord notice in writing in one of these ways:

By personally handing your landlord a copy of your notice,
By mailing your notice through regular, first-class mail, or
Posting your notice on your landlord’s door and mailing a copy to your landlord copy through regular, first-class mail, but only if your rental agreement allows this.

You can also tell your landlord by phone, email, text, through an online tenant portal, or in person, but you will also need to give notice using one of the options listed above.

Do I have to tell my landlord why I want to move out?

In most cases, no.

But if you need to end your lease early because of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, you need to give your landlord verification of why you need to move out early. Visit this page for more information on how to break your lease in this situation.

What happens if my place gets a new landlord?

Any new landlord, property manager or company must follow the current rental agreement.

The new landlord:

Cannot make you sign a new agreement if it is different; and
Must return your deposits when you move, even if the old landlord did not give the money to the new landlord.

After I give notice that I'm moving, can I change my mind?

Only if your landlord agrees to let you take back your move-out notice. If your landlord agrees to let you stay, get your landlord’s agreement in writing.

If your landlord doesn't agree to let you stay, and you are still there when your move-out date comes, your landlord can evict you—even if you have no place to move go.

You should not give notice unless you are sure you will move.