Moving Out of a New York Apartment: How to Get Your Security Deposit Back
New York's 14-day rule, the move-out inspection you can ask for, and how to leave a rental so your deposit comes back. A plain…
Updated October 11, 2026
Plans change: a new job, a bigger family, a parent who needs help. When a move comes before the lease ends, many renters think they owe rent for every month left, no matter what. New York law is more balanced than that, and knowing the basics helps you choose a move date.
The landlord must try to rent the apartment again
If you leave your apartment before your lease ends, your landlord must make a good-faith effort to fill the vacancy. If the landlord finds a new tenant whose rent is the same as yours or higher, your lease is considered ended and you no longer owe the rent (New York State Attorney General: Residential Tenants' Rights Guide).
The more notice you give, the easier this is for everyone. Tell the landlord in writing as soon as you know your move date, offer times for showings, and keep the apartment easy to show.
Tenants 62 and older, or living with a disability
New York gives extra rights to tenants who are 62 or older (or will turn 62 during the lease), to tenants living with a disability, and to a spouse or dependents living with them. They can end a lease early if a doctor certifies that, for medical reasons, they can no longer live on their own and they move in with a family member. They can also end it when they move to an adult care facility, a residential health care facility, subsidized low- or moderate-income housing, or other housing for seniors or people living with a disability (New York State Attorney General: Residential Tenants' Rights Guide).
The landlord must then release the tenant from the rent for the rest of the lease. The written notice has to include specific information, so read the guide before you send it.
If you are helping a parent with this kind of move, it often goes in stages: what goes to the new home first, then what goes to family, to storage or to donation. Tell us about each stop when you ask for an estimate.
Subletting instead of leaving
Sometimes subletting is the better choice. The Attorney General’s guide explains that tenants in buildings with four or more apartments have the right to sublet with the landlord’s advance consent, while tenants in buildings with three or fewer apartments do not have that right and can only ask (New York State Attorney General: Residential Tenants' Rights Guide). Subletting has its own written steps; read them before you promise the apartment to anyone.
Planning the move date
- Put your notice in writing and keep a copy.
- Leave time for the landlord to show the apartment.
- Ask both buildings for their move rules and their certificate of insurance (COI) sample early. We send the COI your building asks for.
- If the new place is not ready yet, ask us about moving to storage between the two dates.
Leave the apartment in good shape
Whatever the reason for the move, a clean apartment with no moving damage helps with your security deposit and with showing the apartment to new tenants. Our crews protect floors and door frames and carry furniture instead of dragging it.
Questions we hear
Do I owe rent for the rest of my lease if I move out early in New York?
Not always. The landlord must make a good-faith effort to rent the apartment again. If a new tenant pays the same rent or more, your lease is considered ended.
Can a senior end a lease early to move?
Tenants 62 or older and tenants living with a disability can end a lease early in certain cases, such as moving in with family for medical reasons or into senior or care housing. Check the notice rules in the Attorney General’s guide.
Can I sublet instead?
In buildings with four or more apartments, tenants have the right to sublet with the landlord’s advance consent. In buildings with three or fewer apartments, the landlord does not have to agree.
Can you store my things if the new place is not ready?
Yes. Ask about moving to storage when you request your free written estimate at (929) 232-3444.
Free written estimate: call (929) 232-3444 or use the quote form on our home page. Family business since 1999 · U.S. DOT No. 967970 (MC-432549) · NYSDOT 34875 · NJPM 000930 · Company facts
More moving guides
- Moving Into a New NYC Apartment: Heat, Smoke Alarms, Window Guards and Other Landlord Duties
- Moving in NYC Without Bringing Bed Bugs Along
- Moving a Piano in a NYC Apartment: Uprights, Baby Grands, Stairs and Elevators
- Moving to storage
- Residential moving
Rules change. We read the official pages linked here in October 2026; check the linked page before you rely on it.