How much notice do I have to give my landlord before I move out?

Start with your lease. Many say 30 or 60 days. Some fixed-term leases renew automatically or turn into month-to-month unless you give notice by a set date. If your lease is silent, state law sets the minimum. In many states it is one full rental period, so for a monthly lease that means notice before the last rent due date.

Give notice in writing, even if your landlord told you a call is fine. Include the date, your address, the day you will hand back the keys, and a forwarding address for your deposit. Send it the way your lease requires. Keep a copy and proof you sent it, like a delivery receipt or the email.

Count backward from your rent due date, not from your moving day. Notice given on the 5th of the month may not count until the next rental period. Then you could owe an extra month. Notice rules differ by state and sometimes by city. Check your state's tenant page at hud.gov/states or your state attorney general's tenant guide.

Source: Minnesota Attorney General, Vacating Your Apartment · Checked October 2026