32 Lease Termination Letter Templates – Samples

A lease termination letter is a document written as a formal notice of terminating a lease agreement.

It is written by the tenant or landlord, whoever wishes to end the lease, to the other party in the lease agreement. The letter is a legal document that protects the sender from unlawful claims after they have absolved their obligation to the lease agreement. The letter is alternatively referred to as an end-of-lease letter.

A termination can be sent under different circumstances. Fundamentally, it is issued whenever one party wants to terminate a lease with no specified end date, for example, a month-to-month or standard 1-year lease. The letter can also be issued when the landlord wants to increase rent and the tenant does not accept the new lease terms. Typically, the letter for terminating a lease should be issued with a 30-day notice, but in other instances, it can be 60 days or 90 days’ notice. The notice period is determined by the terms of the lease and local laws, so it is advisable to review the applicable regulations before sending the letter.  

A lease termination is different from an eviction. Lease termination is the act of discontinuing a lease agreement through a formal notice. Lease terminations are cordial means of ending a lease agreement once it expires. An eviction is a notice to vacate the premises due to a breach of the terms of the agreement. The process may end in a trial and require force or intervention from authorities.

This article addresses the key components of a lease termination letter, its different types, and how to prepare a letter that terminates any lease. The article also focuses on other pertinent information necessary to formally and lawfully terminate a lease. It provides you with downloadable templates that help you write a lease termination letter on your own.

Given below are lease termination letter templates:

There are different termination letters tenants or landlords can write depending on the situation, as discussed below:

Early lease termination letter 

This type of termination letter is written to terminate a lease before its end date. For example, such a letter will be sent when a tenant cannot pay the rent due to financial issues and would thus like to end the lease rather than default. 

Late rent notice 

Sometimes, tenants may fail to pay rent on time due to unavoidable circumstances such as loss of employment. In such cases, landlords send a late rent letter. The letter informs the tenants of the delayed payment and urges them to pay promptly or risk the lease being terminated.

Eviction notice

The landlord sends an eviction notice to the tenant when they violate a term on the lease contract that warrants expulsion from the rented space. The notice states the violation and how to rectify it. It also gives an ultimatum to vacate the premises if the issue is not resolved within a specified period.

Commercial lease termination letter 

When one or both parties involved in a lease agreement are a business, it is deemed a commercial lease. To terminate such a lease, a party must send a commercial lease termination letter stating that the other party can no longer use the property for business. 

Why Should You Write a Lease Termination Letter? 

A lease termination letter is written for different reasons. The letter may be sent if the landlord sells the rental property, the premises become inhabitable, or the landlord would like to move into the rental unit. Also, it can be sent if either party chooses not to renew the lease or end it early, the tenant gets deployed under a military duty or violates the lease terms.

Lease termination letters can also be sent when tenants consistently violate building policies such as pet policies and noise rules. Additionally, it must be sent if tenants break certain lease terms and conditions, such as defaulting on rent, conducting illegal or criminal activity within the premises, or significantly damaging the property.  

The letter is also sent as a requirement of the lease agreement. So, it is important to include a lease termination clause in the agreement that outlines the right procedure for delivering the termination letter and the applicable notice period. The clause should also discuss the consequences of early lease termination, such as penalties. This way, the letter guarantees there is healthy communication between the parties as the lease comes to an end.

There must be an appropriate procedure for issuing a lease termination letter. The first step is for the tenant to communicate their wish not to continue after the lease ends. Alternatively, if they decide to end the lease early, the tenant should issue a notice to vacate. Then, you send them a lease termination letter as a response. However, if the tenant violates the lease that warrants eviction, you should send an eviction notice, not a lease termination letter. 

Writing a letter to terminate a lease is not challenging and can be completed in a few steps. Provided below is a procedure for writing a letter that clearly communicates your intention to terminate a lease professionally and effectively:

Step 1: Specify the type of agreement 

Firstly, you need to understand the type of lease in place. Renting a property can be under different types of leases ranging from month-to-month leases to standard 1-year leases.

Step 2: Name the parties involved

Secondly, identify the parties to the agreement and name them in the letter. The parties are the landlord and the tenant. Each party should be identified by their name and address in the letter. 

Step 3: Reference the original agreement

Next, reference the lease agreement in place and identify it in the lease termination letter. The agreement should be identified by stating when it was signed into effect and the associated property it was meant for. The property should be discussed by its address and other identifiers, such as the house unit number.

Step 4: Specify the date

The letter should specify the new end date of the lease. The date must indicate the day, month, and year. It can also indicate the time.   

Step 5: Explain the reason for the termination

Since the termination of a lease can be due to various reasons, it is important to explicitly indicate the reason for termination in the situation at hand. This prevents confusion, ambiguity, and legal issues as to why the lease is being terminated and thus ensures the process is seamless.

Pro tip: Each termination letter should be based on a valid and objective reason. Such reasons include the premises being unsuitable for living or whenever landlords fail to properly maintain the premises by making the needed repairs.

Step 6: Include a forwarding address

A forwarding address should be provided for the recipient of the letter to use should they have to send other documents, such as checks or notices. The forwarding address must also show the name to which the correspondence should be addressed.  

Step 7: Add signatures

The party sending the letter must sign the letter as a way of authenticating the contents of the document. An unsigned letter of lease termination may be difficult to enforce.

Step 8: Add proof of service

Lastly, the sender must sign an affidavit of service if they use a third party to serve the lease termination letter. The affidavit is then issued to the recipient upon delivery of the letter and thus acts as proof of service that the letter was delivered successfully.

Sample Lease Termination Letter 

Consequences of Not Issuing a Lease Termination Letter 

A lease agreement is a legal document that has legal repercussions if violated. This prevents any party from terminating a lease outside the terms and conditions of an existing lease agreement. Tenants and landlords may have different consequences when they terminate a lease without sending a lease termination letter.

A landlord may have to pay penalties or legal fees, spend unnecessary time attending court proceedings, or have the lease extended automatically. Additionally, the landlord would have to find and hire a lawyer and refund the security deposit, and tenants can also sue for hardship as they struggle to find a new place to rent.   

In contrast, a tenant may lose their security deposit, get charged the rent equivalent for the remainder of the lease, get sued, or damage their credit score. Their credit may be damaged for the next seven years as a consequence.  

Required Termination Notice 

The termination notice periods differ from state to state. It is, therefore, important to check the termination requirements within the state where the property is located.

Below is a table that indicates the notice periods in different states:

AL § 35-9A-441	MT § 70-24-441
AK § 34.03.290(b)	NE § 76-1437(2)
AZ § 33-1375	NV NRS 40.251
AR § 18-17-704	NH § 540:11(2)
CA § 1946	NJ § 2A:18-56
CO § 13-40-107	NM § 47-8-37
CT § 47a-23	NY § 232-b
DE Title 25 § 5106	NC § 42-14
FL § 83.57	ND § 47-16-07.2
GA § 44-7-7	OH § 5321.17
HI § 521-71	OK § 41-111
ID § 55-208	OR § 91.070
IL 735 ILCS 5/9-207	PA § 250.501
IN § 32-31-1-1	RI § 34-18-37
IA § 562A.34	SC § 27-40-770
KS § 58-2570	SD § 43-32-13
KY § 383.695	TN § 66-28-512
LA CC 2728	TX § 91.001
ME Title 14 § 6002	UT § 78B-6-802
MD § 8-402	VT § 4467
MA § 186-15B	VA § 55.1-1253(A)
MI § 554.134	WA § 59.18.200
MN § 504B.135	WA (D.C) § 42–3505.54(a)
MS § 89-8-19	WV § 37-6-5
MO § 441.060	WI § 704.19
	WY No statute