Basic Information About Moving Out

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

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.

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: 

1. Try to rent the unit to someone else, and
2. 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.

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. 

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. 

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

The new landlord: 

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

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. 

Yes. Make a copy or take a picture of the notice. You might need this if your landlord gives you any problems about moving out. 

Yes. You still owe rent for the last month you live in your rental. Even if you move out before the 30-day deadline, you still must pay for the last month. 

You can pay your last month’s rent with: 

• A new payment, or 
• Your deposit for the last month’s rent (if you paid one when you moved in). 

Note: If your rent was raised since you paid the last month’s rent deposit, you must also pay the difference between the old and new rent.

You can ask. But if your landlord does not agree, you must pay. If the landlord agrees, get your landlord’s agreement in writing.

Your landlord can: 

• Take the rent money from your security deposit; 
• Sue you in Small Claims Court, if your security deposit does not cover the rent you owe; or 
• Give you a Notice of Nonpayment of Rent. 

If your landlord finds another renter for your unit for any part of the last month, you will not have to pay for the time the other renter is in the unit.

Click here for information on how to get your security deposit back when you move out. 

Yes. The law protects victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault in several ways. 

You can give your landlord a written notice (text or email is not enough) that tells the landlord that within 14 days (or 17 days if you mail the notice):  

• You (and any family members living with you) will move out; or 
• You want the abuser removed from the rental agreement because of criminal abuse.  

Important! Your landlord cannot charge you extra fees if you want to break your lease early because of abuse. 

Click here to learn about your rights and what to include in your notice.