Giving notice as a tenant: deadlines and form
How to end your lease properly: the notice period, the form of the letter and how to send it.
As a tenant you give three months' notice. Your notice must reach the landlord by the third working day of the month for that month to count. Write it on paper, sign it by hand and send it in a way that proves it arrived.
What makes your notice valid
You do not need a reason. But the form and the timing have to be right.
- 1
Three months' notice
As a tenant, your notice period is three months, however long you have lived in the flat.
- 2
Arrive by the third working day
If your notice reaches the landlord by the third working day of the month, that month counts as the first of the three.
- 3
On paper, signed by hand
The notice must be on paper and signed by hand. An email or a WhatsApp message is not enough.
- 4
Everyone on the lease signs
If several people are named in the lease, all of them must sign. Otherwise the notice is invalid.
- 5
No reason needed
As a tenant, you do not have to say why you are leaving.
- 6
Make sure you can prove it arrived
Send the notice in a way that proves it arrived, for example by Einwurf-Einschreiben (registered post delivered to the letterbox).
Why this matters
Under § 573c Abs. 1 BGB, a notice that arrives by the third working day of a month ends the tenancy at the end of the month after next. For tenants, the notice period stays at three months, even after many years in the flat.
General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
By when must my notice reach the landlord for the month to count?
Your notice must reach the landlord by the third working day of the month (§ 573c Abs. 1 BGB). What counts is the day it arrives, not the day you sent it.
Can I give notice by email or WhatsApp?
No, the notice must be on paper and signed by hand (§§ 568, 126 BGB). Fax and spoken notice do not count either.
Do I have to give a reason for my notice?
No, as a tenant you do not need a reason to give notice. The notice must still be on paper and signed by hand (§ 568 BGB).
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