Adding fiance' or wife to apartment lease (apartments, tenant, fees)

[swa_ jade]

I want to add my fiance (would be wife - marriage next month) to my lease. I live in California and they are asking to me to sign another lease for an year. I'm on month-to-month and don't want to sign another lease to get stuck for an year. I'm ready to pay processing fees and background check for my fiance'. How do I approach this?

[STT Resident]

You don't have a lease to which to add your fiancée ... Your lease expired so you're on a month to month under the same terms and conditions of the original lease until such time as the LL changes the terms by giving you the required notice under your state law (usually 30 days). As long as there are no occupancy restrictions and you advise your LL accordingly then your wife-to-be will simply move in with you but unless you enter into a new lease with your LL there's nothing to add her to.

Keep in mind that if you don't sign a new lease your LL can, with the required notice, ask you to leave at any time. You'll find the specific timelines for your particular state linked in the first "sticky" on this forum.

[Squirl]

What does your present lease say about other occupants?

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

All of my apartments are month-to-month from the git go. But when my tenants want someone to move in, unless they really want them on the lease for some reason (one woman getting married wanted both their married names on the lease - no problem), I just add them as an occupant. That way I don't have to worry about who to go after if anything goes wrong. Original tenant stays main tenant. Then if the boyfriends/girlfriends come and go, it's less messy.

In your situation, I would tell the LL that you really don't want to sign a year lease. If they still balk, see if they'll go for a 3 month or 6 month lease.

If you're a good tenant, I can't imagine them not wanting to keep you. Exception would be if they thought you'd leave during the holiday season when it can be hard to find tenants.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

If you don't want to sign a new lease, that means you are planning on leaving soon. So just pack up now and move a month or two before you planned to.

You can ask to remain month to month and maybe the landlord will agree to it, but if he wants a lease and you don't want to sign it, you are leaving in 30 days, anyway. So better start looking for a new place now

(60 days in California if you have already been there over a year,)

[walker raynell]

I currently owe money for an eviction,it was not with housing.I want to know can I be added to someone's lease that's already on housing?

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by walker raynell

I currently owe money for an eviction,it was not with housing.I want to know can I be added to someone's lease that's already on housing?

That's entirely up to the housing authority.

[jw2]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

If you don't want to sign a new lease, that means you are planning on leaving soon. So just pack up now and move a month or two before you planned to.

You can ask to remain month to month and maybe the landlord will agree to it, but if he wants a lease and you don't want to sign it, you are leaving in 30 days, anyway. So better start looking for a new place now

(60 days in California if you have already been there over a year,)

I realize this response is old and the thread was popped because of an unrelated post but I wanted to clear up something about California non-renewal time frames.

In California, 60 days notice is required if ALL tenants have been there for a year or longer. In the example the OP provided, if the fiancee moves in and her name is put on a month to month lease, their lease can be terminated with a 30 day written notice.