Question about month-to-month leases (apartment complex, lease, rental, house)

[ctribucher]

I have a question about month-to-month leases.

DH and I rent a townhouse in a rental community. When we first moved in, we signed a six month lease, and then when that term expired, we renewed again for another six months.

Now our second six month lease has expired, and the management company has asked us, in writing, if we want to renew. The first two letters they sent us state that if we do not renew, our lease will automatically transition to a month-to-month lease, with the same terms as before regarding cable and utilities, plus a slight increase in rent. These letters also state that no action is required on our part if we decide to go month-to-month.

Yesterday, we received a third letter from the management company, asking us what we want to do. This letter states that if we want to go month-to-month, we have to go into the office and sign a month-to-month agreement. Is this a standard procedure? Why are they just bringing a month-to-month lease to our attention now, when the first to letters made no mention of this?

TIA for your help.

[redwine]

Originally Posted by ctribucher

I have a question about month-to-month leases.

DH and I rent a townhouse in a rental community. When we first moved in, we signed a six month lease, and then when that term expired, we renewed again for another six months.

Now our second six month lease has expired, and the management company has asked us, in writing, if we want to renew. The first two letters they sent us state that if we do not renew, our lease will automatically transition to a month-to-month lease, with the same terms as before regarding cable and utilities, plus a slight increase in rent. These letters also state that no action is required on our part if we decide to go month-to-month.

Yesterday, we received a third letter from the management company, asking us what we want to do. This letter states that if we want to go month-to-month, we have to go into the office and sign a month-to-month agreement. Is this a standard procedure? Why are they just bringing a month-to-month lease to our attention now, when the first to letters made no mention of this?

TIA for your help.

My apartment managment did the same thing. It would automatically go to month to month and the rent would go up like 20 dollars. I think the month to month is better. You can move out anytime you want without having to worry about a contract. I do think that this is standard procedure in most apartment complexes.

[ctribucher]

Hi redwine, thanks for your reply.

I've gone month-to-month before in different complexes... that's not my issue. My issue is, why are they asking us to sign a month-to-month agreement? That's what's getting me all confused. DH and I really don't want to sign anything right now... despite the economy we're trying to buy our first house, and don't want to lock into anything with our apartment company at this time.

[zman0]

Originally Posted by ctribucher

My issue is, why are they asking us to sign a month-to-month agreement? That's what's getting me all confused.

Probably for their own records, so that there is a written agreement about the terms (price, month-to-month, etc.).

As long as the lease specifies that it is month-to-month you won't be locked in for a set term.

[BabyBoomers2]

We got a letter in Sept from Management about our 1 yr Lease being over this month (end of Oct) and to come to the office to talk to them about what we plan to do. A few days later, wife and I talked to the Manager (his office/closed door) and told him that we didn't want to sign another Lease....that we wanted to go month-to-month. We told him about the noise above our apartment (that we have told him before about) and he understood and also told him about moving out of the State. We let him know that we have never been late on our rent and he "cut us a deal" that was great for us. Without this "deal" our rent would have gone up $150 per month, but he is only charging us an addition $40 per month (to go month-to-month) b/c we have always paid our rent on time. We were very happy about that!!! We didn't have to sign a thing. Management just showed the month-to-month adjustment in our rental folder/records.

However, Management still asks us (at times) if we want to sign another 1 yr Lease and we just won't do it. Our upstairs neighbors are just too noisey a lot of times and, besides that, we want to move out of the State by the first of next year.