When to Give Your Notice to Vacate

If you have recently purchased a home and are waiting for the sale to close, it can be difficult to determine exactly when to give a notice to vacate to your landlord. Even though closing dates are set by your real estate agent, bank and lawyer, they are estimates more than anything. In reality, the date you close on your new home depends on when title documents and mortgage funds are ready for delivery. Because of this, you must be careful about when you give notice.

Follow the Rules of Your Lease

Your lease sets forth the notice requirements for vacating your apartment. Most landlords require 30 to 60 days notice of your vacating the premises to provide them with adequate time to re-let the space. Check you lease and make sure your notice is within the time period.

Let Your Landlord Know the Story

Most landlords will not be upset if they learn that your reason for leaving the space is that you have purchased a home. While this doesn’t mean that they will let you leave the premises at any time you want, it may make them more flexible with the date you actually must vacate the premises. This could result in him giving you the extra days or even the week required before your home sale closes.

Overlap the Times

The best way to ensure that you will have a place to live when waiting for a home sale to close is to set your last day in the apartment a week or two after your home closing. This will allow give you extra time in the apartment should the sale not close when expected or permit you time to move your belongings to your new residence if the sale closes on time.