Lease Termination Notice — Early Termination

LEASE TERMINATION NOTICE — EARLY TERMINATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Grounds for Early Termination
2. Notice Template
3. Required Documentation by Ground
4. State-Specific Rights
5. Landlord's Duty to Mitigate
6. Practitioner Notes

1. GROUNDS FOR EARLY TERMINATION

Select the applicable ground(s) for early termination:

☐ Military Service (SCRA) — Active duty orders, PCS, deployment of 90+ days
☐ Domestic Violence / Sexual Assault / Stalking — With qualifying documentation
☐ Uninhabitable Conditions — Landlord's material breach of warranty of habitability
☐ Landlord Harassment or Illegal Entry — Repeated violations of privacy rights
☐ Lease Early Termination Clause — Exercise of contractual termination option
☐ Mutual Agreement — Both parties agree to terminate
☐ Constructive Eviction — Landlord's actions render premises unusable
☐ Health/Safety Emergency — Building condemnation, environmental hazard
☐ Senior Citizen / Disability (where applicable) — Relocation to care facility
☐ Job Relocation (if lease permits) — Transfer exceeding [____] miles
☐ Other Statutory Ground: [________________________________]

2. NOTICE TEMPLATE

[DATE]

VIA [☐ CERTIFIED MAIL, RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED / ☐ PERSONAL DELIVERY / ☐ PRIVATE CARRIER (FedEx, UPS)]

[LANDLORD / PROPERTY MANAGER NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[CITY, STATE ZIP]

RE: NOTICE OF EARLY LEASE TERMINATION
Property Address: [________________________________]
Unit No.: [________________]
Lease Date: [__/__/____]
Lease Expiration: [__/__/____]

Dear [LANDLORD NAME]:

I am writing to provide formal notice of my intent to terminate my lease early, effective [__/__/____], pursuant to [LEGAL BASIS — e.g., 50 U.S.C. § 3955 (SCRA) / (State Statute) / Section [____] of the Lease Agreement].

TENANT INFORMATION

GROUND FOR EARLY TERMINATION

☐ MILITARY SERVICE (SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3955)

I have received [☐ orders to active duty / ☐ Permanent Change of Station (PCS) orders / ☐ deployment orders for 90+ days]. Pursuant to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, I am entitled to terminate this lease with 30 days' written notice after the next rent payment is due. No early termination penalty may be imposed under federal law.

Enclosed: ☐ Copy of military orders ☐ Letter from commanding officer

☐ DOMESTIC VIOLENCE / SEXUAL ASSAULT / STALKING

Pursuant to [STATE STATUTE — e.g., Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.7; N.Y. RPL § 227-d; Tex. Prop. Code § 92.016], I am exercising my right to terminate this lease due to being a victim of [☐ domestic violence / ☐ sexual assault / ☐ stalking].

Enclosed: ☐ Copy of protective/restraining order ☐ Police report (dated within [____] days) ☐ Documentation from qualified third party

☐ UNINHABITABLE CONDITIONS / CONSTRUCTIVE EVICTION

The premises have become uninhabitable due to [________________________________]. I have provided written notice of these conditions on [__/__/____] and Landlord has failed to remedy them within a reasonable time. I am terminating this lease pursuant to [STATE STATUTE] and the implied warranty of habitability.

Enclosed: ☐ Prior written notices to Landlord ☐ Photographs/documentation of conditions ☐ Code enforcement inspection report

☐ LEASE EARLY TERMINATION CLAUSE

Pursuant to Section [____] of the Lease Agreement, I am exercising the early termination option. The early termination fee of $[________________] ☐ is enclosed / ☐ will be paid by [__/__/____].

☐ MUTUAL AGREEMENT

Per our mutual agreement dated [__/__/____], the lease shall terminate on [__/__/____].

☐ OTHER: [________________________________]

EFFECTIVE DATE

This termination shall be effective on [__/__/____], which is [____] days from the date of this notice. Rent has been paid through [__/__/____]. [I will / I will not] be paying rent through the termination date.

MOVE-OUT AND DEPOSIT

I intend to vacate the premises on or before [__/__/____]. I request:

☐ A move-out inspection on [__/__/____] at [____] AM/PM
☐ Return of my security deposit of $[________________] to:
Forwarding Address: [________________________________]

I will return all keys and access devices on or before the termination date.

Please confirm receipt of this notice and acknowledge the termination date.

Sincerely,

_______________________________
[TENANT NAME]

Enclosures:
☐ Military orders (if applicable)
☐ Protective order / police report (if applicable)
☐ Prior maintenance requests / condition documentation
☐ Early termination fee payment (if applicable)
☐ Photos of premises condition

3. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION BY GROUND

4. STATE-SPECIFIC RIGHTS

5. LANDLORD'S DUTY TO MITIGATE

In most states, if a tenant breaks a lease without a statutory right to do so, the landlord has a duty to make reasonable efforts to re-rent the premises to mitigate damages:

6. PRACTITIONER NOTES

This template is for informational purposes only. Early termination rights and procedures vary by state and circumstance. Consult a qualified attorney before terminating a lease early.