Notice to Vacate or Renew

Vacate is a term subject to different meanings. In the context of a court order or decision, vacate means to overrule or void. A decision may be vacated for error, however, the error must be significant enough that it affected the outcome. Vacating a conviction for a crime sometimes refers to when a court determines you have met certain conditions and orders the conviction removed from your criminal history record. Vacate orders are also issued in domestic relations cases, usually to order a spouse to leave the marital home.

In the context of landlord-tenant law, vacate means to leave the premises, either voluntarily or involuntarily. A landlord generally may not evict a tenant from a rental unit for any reason, other than for nonpayment, unless he or she has served the tenant with a valid written notice to vacate. Local laws, which vary, govern the notice requirements for a landlord seeking a tenant's vacancy.