Q: I am on a six month lease agreement. My landlord has notified me that my lease will end on May 31st.
My landlord advised that if we wish to renew our lease we will have to sign a new lease with an increase of rent. Live in Jackson County. Is this legal?
A: Assuming you have a written lease agreement, it should specify when it expires - presumably May 31st but check it. Then it depends upon what your lease says happens upon expiration. Some leases simply terminate and you are expected to be out by the end of it or make other arrangements ahead of time with the landlord. Other leases automatically renew for another full lease term unless one of the parties notifies the other in advance that they do not wish to renew (usually 30 or 60 days advanced notice is required, but it will be in the lease terms). Still other leases, and probably the most common, simply convert to month to month tenancies upon expiration of the lease term unless other arrangements have been made. Rent can be increased anytime in a month to month, or upon a lease term renewal though 90 days advanced written notice of the rent raise is normally required. As long as the 90 day advanced notice is provided in a month to month tenancy, a landlord can raise the rent as often and as much as he wishes. A tenant who does not want to pay it has the remedy of moving out before the rent increase goes into effect.
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