What do I do when my lease has ended?

Many Jacksonville apartments are governed according to their contractual terms. Although many leases determine when a tenant must vacate, most communities prefer for their residents to give notice prior to leaving their Jacksonville apartments.

As you have already discovered, Jacksonville is one of the largest cities in the entire state of Florida. When learning that your lease is coming to an end, you may already be prepared to search for a new home in a new location. Whether you chose to be living near the Atlantic Ocean or hope to stick near the downtown entertainment district, the metropolis city is sure to meet your needs.

When searching for your new Jacksonville apartment, you will generally be promising to occupy a given unit for a specified duration of time. This promise is commonly referred to as a lease agreement. These durational instruments contract one's stay for a specific amount of time. This could be weeks or months, however, it usually lasts 12 months. Most of these contracts include provisions that specify in detail how to renew or terminate the lease. Most often than not, many of these contracts state that a tenant must notify the landlord or property management of their intent to either vacate the premises upon the end of the lease or terminate the contract.

If your lease has not yet ended, it is best to notify the proper parties that you do not plan to renew your contract. Now, how do you go about doing this? Most agreements dictate what processes should be followed when it comes to giving proper notice. However, the majority of standard forms prefer for a tenant to follow a few simple steps. First, make sure the notice is done in writing. Like many other contracts, be specific with the wording. This mean to include your name, the date, your unit number, the day your lease is scheduled to end, and the day you plan to move out of your current home.  This type of notice is usually given to your property manager 30 days prior to the end of your agreement.  If the 30 day window has already passed, call your community staff and see if you are still able to satisfy the requirements.

Always be sure to hand in your letter and make a copy as well for your own keeping.

If your lease has already come to an end, be sure that it did not automatically renew. Although these renewals are usually agreed to on a month to month basis, some communities implement differences processes and may consider your extended stay either a breach of contract or an intent to renew your lease. If you are sitting in this specific situation, call your management staff and explain the situation. Many communities are used to dealing with these types of discrepancies and the issue should be handled with ease.

These are the opinions of writers and not the opinions of RentJax.com or any of our advertising partners.