Form 13: Notice of intention to leave

Who sends or completes it?

The tenant gives it to the property manager or owner.

When is it used?

When a tenant intends to end a general tenancy on a stated ground and date.

Read the entire form, including its notes and timeframes. The correct next step can depend on your agreement type, the stated reason, how the document was delivered and what has already happened.

Choose the ground that matches why you are leaving

Form 13 is the tenant’s written notice of intention to leave. Start by identifying whether you are ending a periodic agreement, reaching a fixed-term end, responding to an unremedied breach, leaving because of non-liveability, or using another ground in the current RTA table. The notice period and the documents needed depend on that choice.

Do not select ‘without grounds’ simply because it is familiar if a special safety or breach pathway applies. A tenant experiencing domestic and family violence may have a safer and faster Form 20 process, and a tenant relying on a repair or breach ground may need advice before assuming the notice releases them early.

Calculate the proposed date carefully

The current Form 13 notes say that when a period is expressed in days, weeks or months, the day the notice is given is not counted. If the period ends on a weekend or public holiday, the next business day can matter. Postal service also requires delivery time. Write the date given, the first counted day, the minimum period and the proposed handover date.

A date calculator is only a first check. It cannot decide the correct ground, whether the agreement is fixed or periodic, or whether an exception applies. If the agent accepts a different date, record the agreement in writing and say what happens to rent, keys, cleaning, utilities and the bond.

Fixed terms and early leaving need special care

A tenant can give Form 13 for the end of a fixed term, but the current notice table still applies. Leaving before the end date may be a break lease unless a lawful ground, a written agreement or a QCAT order applies. Ask for a written calculation of any reletting or other claimed cost rather than accepting a lump sum with no explanation.

If you believe the owner or agent has breached the agreement, Form 13 does not automatically guarantee early release. The RTA says a tenant can seek dispute resolution for a non-urgent matter or apply to QCAT for an urgent matter before giving notice. Preserve the earlier repair requests and the response history.

Safety and domestic-violence options are different

A tenant who can no longer safely occupy the premises because of domestic and family violence may be able to end their interest quickly and safely using Form 20 with relevant evidence. Do not put a person of concern into an ordinary email chain or disclose a new address simply to prove service. Use the RTA’s dedicated guidance and a specialist service for a safe plan.

For immediate danger, call 000. The form is an important legal step, but it is not a substitute for an urgent safety plan. Keep sensitive evidence in a secure place and ask the RTA or a qualified adviser how to communicate without exposing your location or support arrangements.

Make the handover provable

After giving Form 13, prepare the exit condition report, final photographs, meter readings, keys, remotes and cleaning records. Ask where and when the keys must be returned. A notice to leave is not the same as surrendering possession; the agreement and the actual handover need to be clear.

Keep proof of the method and date used to give the notice. If you send it by email, retain the sent message and attachment; if you use a portal, save the confirmation screen. Continue ordinary rent payments until the lawful end date or a written agreement changes the position.

Example: a clean notice record

For a periodic general tenancy ending without grounds, a renter might record: Form 13 completed on 12 September; sent to the named agent at 10:14 am; minimum period checked against the current RTA table; proposed handover date written on the form; receipt confirmed by email; final inspection requested for the last week. That chronology is far easier to defend than a screenshot with no context.

If the agent says the notice is invalid, ask them to identify the exact field or date they dispute. Do not immediately resend a different form with a new date, because that can change the end date. Get advice before correcting a notice where the home, bond or a tribunal deadline is at risk.