Is a month to month lease popular in Portland (2013, apartments)

[CountryEd]

Folks,
It seems a month to month lease is popular for rental homes and apartments. What is the reason?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It's so the landlord can get you out easily if you turn out to be a PITA.

[58rhodes]

We like month to month so we can raise your rent too

[AndyAMG]

Because even renters who make 6 figures can be real dirt bags. The people who rented my house were in the education industry and together made over 6 figures. They were SLOBS! I had to clear out a mountain of recyclable garbage and old cloth and news paper and paper and cans. They saved everything they used like pack rats. Perhaps they thought the were environmentally conscious, but when they left they didn't take any of it. The showers were NEVER CLEANED and the toilets seldom. There was a ring of old dried **** all over the base of all of the toilets and wall and cabinets has been pissed on several times.

Here is the kicker. The guy was a maintenance guy at a local university and his wife a professor. These people seemed like dream tenants. But, even they were gross, never took care of anything and their dogs destroyed 3 doors an the entire back yard.

Now don't think im just down on renters. My in laws own a property out in Eagle Creek area, and the property may be worth a half million dollars they had a 3000sqft custom home built out there in the 90s. Today, it looks like Appalachia. My father in law has done nothing for home maintenance. The roof has plants growing on it, there are tall weeds growing in the gutters. The siding and wood work are starting to rot. The driveway is over grown with weeds. There is an old derelict u haul truck. a 60s pickup that hasn't ran in a decade, a old wrecked honda, 3 derelict SUVs, an old mercedes Diesel that hasn't ran in 3 years he was going to turn into a bio diesel car. My FIL got a pod, and then just never returned it. Then bought a 40 ft shipping container for a "shop" since the actual shop was "too far" and had 20 years worth of pack rat garbage in it... out of 15 acres he decided to place them right by the house. both my MIL and FIL are hoarders, the inside of the house is disgusting. It used to have a beautiful staircase but it broke so my fil decided to rip it out put cheap metal rails. In the family room he has stored a transmission to an F-250 and the block out of the derelict Honda. Random parts of old tool boxes and tools. He has boxes to the ceiling full of get rich quick scheme stuff hes wasted money on. My SIL and BIL still live at home they don't do anything to help out.

I don't even like to go over there anymore. I need a surgical mask, tetanus shot and and a detoxing shower. He runs a gas generator/air compressor in the basement...ITS CARPETED and finsihed!

Point is renters can look good on paper but until you get them in you will have no idea what they are actually like and how well they took care of stuff. Your rolling the dice so month to month is better for some landlords. I also told you about my in laws because I see people make the argument that renters neglect homes because they have no skin in the game, no investment, no ownership. But I can tell you there are lazy terrible home owners too. Would you want to see these people in your home... No. Month to month insures you can get out from under bad renters. I think month to month is good.

[bler144]

Interesting - I don't see a lot posted as month to month myself these days.

Though I think in general it depends on who's doing the renting. As the posters above note, if you're renting out your own personal property, month to month gives you some control on at least cutting your losses.

But I see the property mgmt companies (who drastically expanded their holdings between 2009-2013) almost exclusively doing 12 month contracts. I'd wager it's because they have the capital, legal staffing, and collections resources to shift the balance of power - almost anything that's disputed in court they're going to win. And they're going to collect.

For an individual homeowner renting a room or a place, pursuing something through the courts or collections is going to be more expensive and probably less likely to pan out.

[CountryEd]

So many good points folks, thanks for sharing.

[grassfeeder]

I'm looking for a month to month while my house is being built as mine now sold in 30 minutes. Where you finding these?

[Nell Plotts]

You may have better options signing a 1-year lease with an affordable termination clause. Assuming that the high demand for rental housing continues for the next 9 months (as I assume it will) you should be able to find a new lease without a lot of trouble.