Do you need to break your lease? Do you have a family emergency? Learn about the requirements for writing a residential rental lease termination letter.
Read Your Lease
Is your tenancy month-to-month, six-month or yearly? The month-to-month lease is technically “at the will” of either party. Therefore, you can easily break it.
The other leases will require you to give a 30- or 60-day notice. Breaking your lease means that you don’t give them the proper amount of time. Therefore, you should expect certain penalties, like not receiving your full security deposit back. The landlord’s argument is that he could not find an adequate tenant in time.
What to Include
You must include the landlord’s name, address, date, your name, apartment unit and when you will vacate the rental unit. Make sure to sign your Rental Lease Termination Letter; otherwise, it is not legal.
Clearly state your intention to break your lease. Include a forwarding address for your security deposit. Remember that this is a legal document that might be used in a court of law.
Account Balance
You should check with the landlord to see what your account balance is. You might have a credit or debit.
Landlords might pro-rate your rent based on when you move out. They might give you credit, if you move out early. This gives them a head start on preparing the unit for the next tenant.
Apartment Condition
Remember when you filled out that apartment condition report, when you first moved in? This will now be used for when you leave. Clean the carpets, oven, bathroom and everything else.
If you want, hire a maid to clean the apartment. They offer move-out cleaning services that can save you a lot of time. Then, you can even state that you had a professional maid clean the apartment and why you think the full security amount should be returned.
Your security deposit might be used to clean the apartment, if you don’t do so. It can also be used for repairs.
Credit Report
Why do you even need to write this legal document? Because all of the apartment complexes keep track of what you do – if you don’t follow these legal procedures, you might have a difficult time renting a future apartment. The housing facilities want you to satisfy your previous duties before they give you a new lease.
Hand over your keys and get a receipt stating that you have done so. Nowadays, you have a permanent record. Follow the law and you will be able to continue to enjoy the best parts of life.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!