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Lease non-renewal, handled

Not renewing the lease? The letter is drafted before you think of it.

Dardaris raises every lease end six months ahead. Choose to end it and the non-renewal letter is drafted with the right notice, then the inspection and the deposit are lined up. Nothing is sent until you approve it.

Handle the move-out with DardarisGet the free letter

Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so

How it works

Three steps, and the lease ends calmly.

  1. 1

    Asked six months ahead

    Every lease end comes to you with time to renew, change the terms or end it.

  2. 2

    The letter is drafted

    With the notice your lease asks for and the deposit terms of your state. You read it and decide when it goes.

  3. 3

    The exit is lined up

    Inspection booked against the end date, deposit and final account ready when the keys come back.

Free not renewing lease letter

Rather write it yourself? Use this free not renewing lease letter.

Enter the lease end date and when you will send it. The letter sets out the move-out and the deposit return for your state, and checks you are giving enough notice. Word or PDF.

Sets the deposit return deadline written into the letter.

Every field is optional; a blank prints as a line to write on. The letter is in English, as it is sent in the US.

The letter as it will print, updating as you type.

For a landlord ending a fixed-term lease at its end date. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent; the letter is built in this browser.

By hand or with Dardaris

The same letter, without the last-minute rush.

  • Remembering the end date

    By hand:Hope you open the lease in time.

    With Dardaris:Raised six months ahead.

  • Writing the letter

    By hand:Write it, check the notice, print it.

    With Dardaris:Drafted for you to read and approve.

  • The inspection

    By hand:Agree a date by text.

    With Dardaris:Booked against the end date.

  • The deposit

    By hand:Work out deductions from memory.

    With Dardaris:Final account ready when the keys come back.

Not renewing lease letter, in full

Read the whole letter before you fill it in.

Short, factual and courteous. It says the lease is not being renewed, when the tenant should leave, and what happens to the deposit. It gives no reason, because in most places none is required and a reason is the easiest thing to argue with.

NOTICE OF NON-RENEWAL OF LEASE

Date: ____________________

To: ____________________

Premises: ____________________

Dear ____________________,

This letter is to let you know that your lease for the premises above, which ends on ____________________, will not be renewed. Please plan to move out and return possession of the premises, with every key, by the end of that day.

Until then every term of the lease stays in effect, including rent on the usual due dates.

Moving out

Please leave the premises clean and in the condition you received them, apart from normal wear and tear, and send me your forwarding address in writing. I would like to arrange a move-out inspection with you in the final weeks; let me know the dates that suit you.

Your security deposit, less any lawful deductions itemized in writing, will be returned within the time the law requires after you return possession.

Thank you for your tenancy. If you have any questions, please contact me.

Sincerely,

____________________, Landlord

Signature: ____________________

Not legal advice: a lease, a state or a city can require notice a set number of days before the end date, or a reason for not renewing.

The questions that follow.

How do I write a letter of not renewing a lease?

Keep it short and factual: the date, every tenant's name, the property, a sentence saying the lease will not be renewed when it ends on its end date, the move-out and deposit terms, and your signature. A non-renewal letter needs no reason in most places, and giving none leaves less to argue with.

How much notice do I need to give for not renewing a lease?

Start with the lease: many ask for 30 or 60 days' notice before the end date. Some states and cities also set a minimum, and in a few places a landlord needs a reason not to renew. Sending the letter 60 days or more ahead is a safe habit.

Do I have to give a reason for not renewing a lease?

In most of the US, no. Some states and cities require just cause to end or not renew certain tenancies, and the reason must never be discrimination or retaliation for a complaint. When no reason is required, it is usually wiser not to give one.

What happens if I do not send a non-renewal letter?

Depending on the lease and the state, the lease may renew automatically or the tenant may stay on as a month-to-month tenant. Either way, ending it later takes another notice and more time.

Is a non-renewal letter the same as a notice to vacate?

Not quite. A non-renewal letter confirms that a fixed-term lease ends on its end date. A notice to vacate ends a month-to-month tenancy, which has no end date, with the notice period your state sets.

How should I send a non-renewal letter?

Follow the lease's notice clause if it has one. Otherwise, handing it to the tenant or certified mail both leave a record. Keep a dated copy and the proof it was sent.

What if the tenant does not move out when the lease ends?

The tenant becomes a holdover, and the next step is the eviction process your state sets out. Do not change the locks or remove belongings yourself: that is unlawful almost everywhere in the US.

Bring one building. See the next lease ending coming.

Add the leases and watch the renewals line up months ahead, before you decide anything.

Handle the move-out with Dardaris

Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so