Everything has its beginning and its end, they say. Even the best fixed-term lease has a final date. Is yours approaching? If so, you may start thinking about your moving out letter. How to write it? Are there any secrets? Well, there are. But not as many as you probably expect.
Check Your Contract First
As soon as you decide to terminate your rental agreement and look for another place to live, check your lease agreement. Depending on its terms, you may need to write your letter for moving out 30 days before your expected leaving date. In some rare cases, this period could be longer, up to 60 days.
Make It Simple
Even if you have known your landlord for years and you attended his daughter's wedding, keep the notice simple and formal. It is a document, so it needs to sound like one. Although there is no strict move out notice sample to follow, you may want to include some important points.
Timeframe
One of the first things you need to mention is the desired date for leaving the premises. Do not forget to put the date of sending the letter. If you are a seasoned tenant, you know a thing or two about the final property inspection. Suggest a timeframe for it that suits both parties.
Money Matters
Some people hesitate to ask for their security deposit to be returned. Do not be one of them and always request it in writing, stating that you leave the apartment in a good condition.
New Contact Details
Your new address and phone number may be of help if you have forgotten something in the basement or you left your old bicycle in the garage. There could be some important mail for you too. Therefore, leave your new contact details to your (former) landlords, so they can be in touch if something pops up.
Turn Your Spellcheck On
You always use spell check for your business correspondence, right? No one likes grammar and punctuation mistakes, your landlord included. If you are too excited about your new place and cannot stop thinking about it, you may skip a comma or two or misuse some words in your notice. It is always better to have it proofread before sending.
Phone-a-Friend
As a recent report by CityLab found out, the share of U.S. households that rent jumped from 36% in 2004 to 41% in 2016. Therefore, chances are high that you have at least 3-4 people in your social circle who recently moved houses and dealt with moving out letters. Remember one of the options of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Call some of them for advice. There is no one solution that fits all, but you may learn something new and useful.
A Verbal Notice?
The short answer is no; it is not enough. Most importantly, it is not recommended to rely on it. To better protect your interests, it is always, always better to have things documented in writing. If things go wrong, you will not have documents to validate your judgment, so it is of your best interest to spend some time writing the letter.
Moving houses is always exciting, tiring, and usually causes some troubles. Before turning the page of your life and entering your new home, make sure that you have locked the door of the previous one properly. An official move out letter serves as a security key and guarantees you a good night sleep in your new place.
