Fixed-term leases rarely just end: silence usually converts them into a month-to-month tenancy, or triggers an automatic renewal clause. A non-renewal letter is how either side stops that conversion, cleanly and on the timeline the lease and state law require.
This template works in both directions, landlord to tenant or tenant to landlord, and pairs the notice with the move-out logistics that prevent end-of-tenancy friction: keys, condition, forwarding address, and the deposit.
Timing: the only way to get this letter wrong
Non-renewal is generally a right, but a deadline-bound one. Check two sources. First, the lease itself: renewal clauses commonly require notice 30, 60, or even 90 days before expiration, and automatic renewal clauses execute if the window is missed. Second, state and local law: many states set minimum notice for ending or not renewing tenancies, and some cities with just cause eviction rules restrict non-renewals or require specific reasons and longer notice. Count backward from the expiration date, then send the letter with margin, because notice is usually measured by delivery, not by mailing.
Missed the deadline?
If the notice window has passed, the lease may have already renewed or converted to month-to-month. The tenancy then ends by the month-to-month rules instead: for a landlord that is a notice to vacate on the statutory period; for a tenant, the same in reverse. Do not backdate a non-renewal letter.
Non-renewal is not eviction, and not early termination
Three endings get confused. Non-renewal lets the lease run to its natural expiration and simply declines to continue: no breach, no fault, and in most places no reason required. Early termination ends the lease before expiration, which requires a legal basis or mutual agreement, documented in a lease termination letter or a mutual lease termination agreement. Eviction is the court process for removing a tenant who does not leave, which starts with an eviction notice. A tenant who stays past the non-renewed expiration date becomes a holdover, and the landlord's remedy is the eviction track, never self-help.
Engineering a clean move-out
The optional logistics paragraph does quiet work: it requests the forwarding address the landlord needs to return the deposit on the statutory deadline, sets the keys-and-condition expectation, and offers a walkthrough, which is where deduction disputes get defused. Pair the letter with the move-in / move-out checklist used at move-in, and close the file with the security deposit return letter. Send the notice by certified mail or another method the lease authorizes, and keep the proof: non-renewal disputes are almost always about whether notice was given on time.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice is required for a lease non-renewal?
Whatever the lease requires, and never less than state law's minimum. Sixty days is a common lease requirement; states typically set 30 to 60 days for comparable notices, and some cities require more. Read the lease's renewal clause first: it usually contains the binding number.
Does a landlord need a reason to not renew a lease?
In most of the country, no: a fixed-term lease ends at expiration and neither side owes a reason. Exceptions exist in just cause jurisdictions and in subsidized housing, and non-renewal may never be retaliatory or discriminatory under fair housing laws, reasons that are unlawful even where no reason is required.
What happens if no one sends a non-renewal notice?
The default in most leases and states is that the tenancy continues, either month-to-month on the same terms or by automatic renewal if the lease has such a clause. That continuation is exactly what this letter exists to prevent when either side wants the tenancy to end at term.
Can the tenant leave before the lease expiration date after sending this letter?
The letter does not change the lease term: rent is owed through the expiration date regardless of when the tenant physically moves. Leaving earlier is fine; paying through the end date is still required unless the landlord agrees otherwise in writing.
What if the tenant stays after the expiration date?
The tenant becomes a holdover. Depending on the state and whether the landlord accepts rent, that creates a month-to-month tenancy or an unlawful occupancy the landlord addresses through the formal eviction process. Landlords should not accept rent after expiration unless they intend to continue the tenancy.