Notice to vacate template
A notice to vacate ends a periodic tenancy. It is not an eviction, it does not go to court, and getting the period or the service wrong resets the clock to zero.
Notice to vacate
Move-out conditions
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Preview
1 October 2026 Dana Whitfield 1412 Ashgrove Ave, Unit 2 Re: 60 days notice to vacate You are hereby given 60 days written notice to vacate 1412 Ashgrove Ave, Unit 2. Possession is required on or before 30 November 2026. Reason: Owner intends to occupy the unit Before you hand back possession: 1. Remove all belongings and leave the unit broom-clean. 2. Return every key, fob and garage remote issued at move-in. 3. Provide a forwarding address in writing for the deposit statement. A move-out inspection will be offered before the final day. Your security deposit, less any itemised lawful deductions, will be posted to your forwarding address within the period your state's statute requires. Served by: Personal delivery, plus certified mail M. Reyes
A notice to vacate is not an eviction. If the tenant stays past the date, the next step is a court filing, not a lock change.
Choosing the period
California is the clearest published example: a landlord ending a periodic tenancy gives 60 days, dropping to 30 days where the tenant has lived there less than a year (Civ. Code § 1946.1, checked 2026-09-04). Other states run from 30 to 90, several cities add just-cause requirements on top, and the lease may require more than any of them.
Just-cause jurisdictions do not accept a no-reason notice at all. Where just cause applies, an unstated reason is a defective notice, and the tenancy simply continues.
What happens after the date
If the tenant leaves, the tenancy ends and your deposit clock starts — 21 calendar days in California from the day they vacate (Civ. Code § 1950.5, checked 2026-09-04). Go straight to the move-out inspection and then the deduction statement.
If they stay, the only lawful next step is a court filing. Changing the locks, removing doors, cutting utilities or moving belongings out is illegal in every state and converts your straightforward possession case into a damages claim against you. The sequence is in how to file an eviction notice.
Recording the service
- Note the date, the time, the method and who served it — on the copy you keep.
- Where personal service fails, follow your state's substituted-service rule exactly.
- Photograph a posted notice in place, with the door number visible.
- Send a mailed copy as well, even when the statute does not require both.
Related in the binder
