Does a lease automatically go month to month

A rental agreement or lease agreement governs the terms by which you occupy the rental property and pay rent to the landlord. In some circumstances, you may be living in a month-to-month rental agreement even though you technically didn't sign anything committing to that. In other cases, it is illegal for a landlord to put you into a month-to-month rental agreement if you don't agree to it or don't sign anything. Examine your own situation to see if any of these circumstances apply to you.

Oral Rental Agreements

1. An oral rental agreement means you and the landlord have agreed to certain conditions regarding renting property without drawing up a written lease agreement. Oral rental agreements are legally binding in California when occupancy is less than one year. The oral agreement should include the amount of rent, how often the rent is due, the date the rent is due and the specified period of time you will rent. California law treats oral rental agreements as month-to-month rental agreements unless the oral agreement specified a shorter term, such as for one or two weeks, as stated in the California Civil Code Section 1943. If you entered into an oral agreement, it is essentially a month-to-month agreement that doesn't require a signature.

Expired Leases

1. Some lease agreements state that the lease will automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement when the original term of the lease agreement expires. If your lease agreement reads that you will transition to a month-to-month agreement after the current lease unless you give notice that you are vacating the property, you may be in a monthly agreement without signing a separate lease. Ask the landlord for a new term lease if you want to stay in the rental property but not under a month-to-month lease.

Landlord Breaking Lease

1. A lease agreement is a binding contract between you and the landlord. If the lease agreement outlines a specific term, such as 12 months, the landlord cannot legally change that while it is in effect. He must abide by the terms of the signed lease until it expires. Once the lease expires, the landlord can reword and rework it to reflect what he wants. At that time, you can decide whether you want to renew or not.

Mutually Agree

1. If you and the landlord mutually agree to change the terms of the lease agreement or oral rental agreement to a month-to-month status, it can be done. The landlord can write the new terms as an attachment to the lease agreement, or print out a new lease agreement with the month-to-month conditions. To give the agreed changes any legal weight, however, you must both sign and date it. Otherwise, the changes are invalid and the law will consider the original lease as binding. Therefore, unless you sign the revised lease agreement, the landlord cannot enforce a change to the month-to-month.

Tenants and landlords often sign an agreement to rent a place for a certain length of time. This kind of agreement is sometimes called a “ ”. The most common is one year but a lease can be for almost any length of time as long as there is a starting date and an ending date.

Landlords sometimes tell tenants that when their lease ends, they only have two choices:

• to move out, or
• to renew the lease for another term.

But the law says that you also have a third choice: you can simply continue your on a basis. You don't have to move out and you don't have to sign up for another year if you don't want to.

If you want to continue your tenancy, you don't have to do anything. If you don't sign a new lease and you don't give to move out, the law says you automatically become a month-to-month tenant.

All the details of your previous lease or agreement will continue exactly the same. The only thing that might change is the amount of rent you pay. Your rent could go up if your landlord has given you proper notice and followed all the rules for raising your rent. But those rules are the same whether you choose month-to-month or another fixed term.

If you or your landlord want to make any other changes to your lease or agreement, you must both agree to those changes.

If you do want to move out at the end of the term in your lease, you have to give your landlord proper notice. You can't just wait for the lease to expire and then leave.

Read on for more on the different Dutch tenancy agreements, their respective notice periods and termination rights.

Types of tenancy agreements in the Netherlands

Tenancy agreements for residential space can be divided into three main categories:

1. tenancy agreements for an indefinite term,
2. short-term tenancy agreements of less than two years, and
3. regular tenancy agreements for longer than two years.

Tenancy agreement for an indefinite term

In practice, many tenancy agreements are entered into for an indefinite term. Often the landlord and tenant agree that both parties cannot prematurely terminate the lease for a certain period. In that case, there is a lease for an indefinite period with a minimum lease period of, for example, one or two years.

With such a lease, the landlord has the certainty that the tenant will not be able to terminate the lease during the agreed minimum lease term.

Cancel in the meantime

The landlord may only terminate a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term based on one of the legal grounds for termination from Article 7: 274 paragraph 1 of the Dutch Civil Code. The notice period for a landlord is at least three months. Every year that a tenant rents the house, the notice period is extended by one month. The notice period is a maximum of six months.

A tenant can also terminate a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term after the minimum lease period. A tenant does not need a legal ground for termination. The notice period for the tenant is equal to the period between two payment days, but with a minimum of one month and a maximum of three months. In practice, this usually means that the notice period for the tenant is one month.

New owner of the rented property

A new owner must also terminate the tenancy agreement if they want to end the lease. The lease does not end when the house is sold (“purchase does not break rent”); the new owner will continue the existing lease. If the new owner wants to terminate the lease, they are bound by the legal rules for termination.

Please note: a new owner who wants to use the house himself or herself (“urgent own use”) can only terminate the lease three years after they have notified the tenant in writing that they are the new owner.

Short-term tenancy agreement of less than two years

Since the introduction of the Property Rental Market (Measures to Facilitate Movement) Act 2015, it is possible to enter into a short-term tenancy agreement for a maximum of two years or less. This must be stated clearly and unambiguously in the tenancy agreement and the legal article (article 7: 271 paragraph 1 BW) must be mentioned in the tenancy agreement.

In this type of agreement, the tenant has a minimum of rental protection. This means that the landlord does not have to rely on at least one of the legal grounds for termination. A landlord can end this type of agreement by informing the tenant about the ending between 3 months and 1 month before the agreed term. If a tenancy agreement was concluded before July 1, 2016, it does not fall under the new rental legislation. Note that it is the closing date of the contract that is decisive, not the start date.

Cancel in the meantime

The landlord cannot prematurely terminate a short-term tenancy agreement of less than two years. A tenant can. A notice period equal to the payment term applies to the tenant.

Renewal and informing incorrectly

A short-term tenancy agreement can be extended. However, in that case the lease automatically changes into a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term, offering the tenant a maximum of rental protection. This is also the case if the first term was less than two years. If the landlord does not inform the tenant about the ending between 3 months and 1 month before the agreed term, or does not perform the necessary formalities, the lease also automatically changes into a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term.

Housing corporations

Housing corporations may only offer specific tenants a fixed-term lease of less than two years for homes with a social rent. Consider, for example, emergency shelter and replacement living space. Housing corporations are allowed to conclude such rental agreements for homes in the private sector.

Fixed-term lease for more than two years

If a regular temporary tenancy agreement with a lease term of more than two years is entered into, different rules apply. This lease is very similar to a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term.

Cancel in the meantime

Both the landlord and the tenant cannot cancel prematurely. The landlord can only terminate the lease after the agreed rental period by invoking a legal ground for termination (Article 7: 274 paragraph 1 of the Dutch Civil Code).

Renewal

A regular temporary tenancy agreement for more than two years can be extended. In that case, the lease changes into a tenancy agreement for an indefinite term.

Tip for landlords

Clearly and unambiguously record which type of tenancy agreement will be concluded, and which (minimum) rental period applies. This prevents ambiguity and discussion. If you are unsure if your current contracts adequately protect your rights, seek legal advice.

Tip for tenants

Read your tenancy agreement thoroughly before you sign it. If you do not understand it, or you feel that there is an unreasonable clause, get legal advice before you proceed. Once you sign a tenancy agreement, you are legally committed.

If you need advice about tenancy agreements, or you need assistance with creating a tenancy agreement, please contact GMW lawyers on 070 361 5048 or visit gmw.nl/en

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