Is my lease valid?

Most—but not all—states require the lease to be in writing to be considered valid. Among the states that require written leases, valid ones must include a description of the property. Additionally, a lease must include the amount of rent that is due. It must show when rent is due, and how it should be paid.

How to void a signed lease?

If you have a written lease, any agreement to cancel that lease also must be in writing and signed by both you and your landlord, or it won’t be legally valid. If you and your landlord agree to terminate your lease early for whatever reason, your landlord may have a standard termination agreement that she uses.

Can tenant stay after lease expires?

A holdover tenant is a renter who remains in a property after the expiration of the lease. If the landlord continues to accept rent payments, the holdover tenant can continue to legally occupy the property, and state laws and court rulings determine the length of the holdover tenant’s new rental term.

Can I get out of my lease before I move in?

Breaking a lease before the tenant moves in is considered an early termination. It is best to have a lawyer look over any legal work if there is any possibility the agreement will end early, if another situation may arise or if the matter is confusing for the potential tenant.

When does the landlord have to deliver the renewal lease?

The delivery is considered an “offer” of the renewal lease; the tenant has 60 days in which to respond to the offer. So, for instance, if an initial lease ends on 12/31/17, the landlord must not deliver the renewal lease before approximately August 1, 2017, and must not deliver it after approximately October 1, 2017.

What happens if my Landlord does not renew my lease?

First, if the landlord does not offer a renewal lease to the tenant, nothing changes – including the rent. The tenant’s rights are totally unaffected, and the landlord cannot raise the rent. (MCI increases are a different matter — but that’s a story for another day.)

What happens to a tenant when a lease ends?

1. When a lease ends, sometimes the tenant will continue to live there, even though there isn’t anything new that was signed. If the tenant keeps living there, paying rent, and the landlord keeps accepting that rent, then the original terms of the lease will hold, except the part where it ended.

When does a landlord have to honor a term lease?

If you signed a lease agreement, your current and future landlord will have to honor the terms. A term lease agreement is a housing agreement between landlord and tenant for a designated amount of time, typically 6-months to one year.