MOVING OUT
T
ermination is the end of the tenancy that occurs
automatically at the end of the lease or as a result
of mutual agreement or by court order. The landlord
may terminate the tenancy only under certain
circumstances, and by following the eviction process.
TENANT
TERMINATION
TIPS
Provide Prior Notice
» Notify your landlord that you will be vacating the residence.
Policies vary among landlords as to how much notice you
must give. Check your lease or call your landlord to be sure
that you give sufficient notice.
» A tenant may be entitled to terminate the agreement
without penalty under certain conditions.
Turn Off Utilities: Call Early
» Contact your utility provider before you move with the date
you are moving and would like your utilities shut off.
» Student tenants who terminate a lease must do so in
writing with a statement that includes how many days
until tenancy ends and the specific date that tenancy
ends.
Clean
» Your responsibility: A tenant is responsible for leaving the
unit in the same condition as the time of move in.
» If a tenant moves out before giving appropriate written
notice to end a month-to-month agreement or before
the end of a lease, the tenant is responsible for all or
part of the remaining rent until the tenancy would have
ended.
» An irregular termination can cost the tenant all or part
of a deposit and can result in a landlord suing the tenant
for the remaining unpaid rent.
» Termination for Failure of Landlord to Make Repairs.
» Under certain circumstances, a landlord’s failure to make
requested habitability repairs allows a tenant to terminate
a lease with no penalty.
» In order to do so:
» The request for repairs must be in writing.
» The request must state that failure on the part of the
landlord to make the repair will be considered a
contract violation and terminate the lease.
EVICTION
» Eviction is the process of putting a tenant out of a residence
by legal process. Evictions go on a tenant’s record, making
it difficult to find housing later.
» A few different ways a landlord can evict a tenant:
» 30-day Without Cause - The landlord gives notice that
a month-to-month tenancy will end. The landlord does
not have to give a reason. The tenant has 30 days to
move out of the residence.
» 30-day for Cause - The landlord may evict the tenant,
no matter how long the lease, if there is a violation of
the rental agreement. The tenant has 14 days to fix the
problem, or 30 days move from the residence.
» 10-day - A landlord can evict the tenant if they have
been keeping a pet, which is not allowed by the rental
agreement; or if there is a recurrence of a problem
from a prior for-cause notice (within the last 6 months).
» 24-hour - A landlord may evict tenants who are
dangerous, illegal subtenants, dealing drugs, and/or
engaging in other illegal activities.
» Why it matters: The condition of the home when you move
out usually affects the amount of your deposit that the
landlord refunds.
Review Your Original Move In Checklist
» A time saving tip: Ask your landlord for a list of what must
be cleaned in order for the deposit to be refunded.
» It is assumed that, unless you specifically noted or took
pictures showing otherwise, everything was clean and in
good condition when you began your tenancy. So, you are
responsible for cleaning everything now for notifying the
landlord of repairs needed. You may also be responsible for
paying for damages if they were caused by you, roommates,
friends or pets.
» Warning! The deposit may not cover costs
Many renters believe that if the residence is left dirty or
damaged the landlord can only withhold the deposit for
compensation. This is a common misconception. Your
landlord can hold you liable for the costs of repairing and
cleaning the home, ev [