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Month-to-month rental agreements are leases that automatically renew on a monthly basis unless either the landlord or tenant serves proper notice to the other party to terminate the lease.
Month-to-month leases are often used when:
- A long-term lease ends and both parties agree to go month-to-month to avoid a long-term commitment.
- Traveling professionals (like travel nurses, auditors, and consultants) need local housing for an indefinite time frame.
- People relocate to a new city and need temporary accommodations while looking for more permanent housing.
Offering month-to-month leases provides benefits for both the landlord and the renters. Both parties enjoy the flexibility of the arrangement, both parties have more control over who they get into a landlord-tenant relationship with, and landlords often benefit from being able to command higher rent prices in exchange for the convenience offered to renters.
Despite the short term of these leases (compared to standard 12-month leases), they still deserve to be documented in writing through a written month-to-month rental agreement form to avoid misunderstandings and potential legal liabilities. Having a month-to-month rental agreement template on hand will save you time since you can use the same rental agreement template for each new renter.
Since the governing law for rental contracts is handled at the state level, your month-to-month rental agreement template will depend on which state your rental property is located in. The following month-to-month rental agreement templates take state laws into account to help you minimize your legal liability.
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement Template Files By State
California
In California, tenancies lasting one year or less can be terminated with a 30-day notice to vacate, while those lasting longer than a year require a 60-day notice.
You can download a California month-to-month free printable rental agreement.
Colorado
Colorado lease termination notice is given in number of days, depending on the length of the tenancy:
- For a one-year lease or longer: 91 days
- For 6-12 months: 28 days
- For 1-6 months: 21 days
- For 1-4 weeks: 3 days
- Tenancy at will: 3 days
- Less than a week: 1 day
Download your Connecticut month-to-month rental agreement template.
Florida
Florida’s required termination notice for a month-to-month lease is 15 days.
Download your Florida month-to-month rental agreement template.
Georgia
Georgia requires a 30-day notice of termination for a month-to-month lease.
Download your Georgia month-to-month rental agreement template.
Illinois
Illinois requires a 30-day notice of termination for a month-to-month lease.
Download your Illinois month-to-month rental agreement template.
Massachusetts
The required termination notice in Massachusetts is 30 days for a month-to-month agreement.
Download your Massachusetts month-to-month rental agreement template.
New York
The required termination notice in New York is 30 days for a month-to-month agreement.
Download your New York month-to-month rental agreement template.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania lease termination notice is given in number of days, depending on the length of the tenancy:
- 5 days for tenancy of one year or less
- 30 days for tenancy of more than one year
Download your Pennsylvania month-to-month rental agreement template.
Texas
Texas requires a 30-day notice of termination for a month-to-month lease.
Download your Texas month-to-month rental agreement template.
Washington, DC
DC requires a 30-day notice of termination for a month-to-month lease.
Download your Washington DC month-to-month rental agreement template.
Tips for Creating a Month-to-Month Rental Agreement
Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your month-to-month rental agreement.
Don’t forget the rental application process
A legally binding rental agreement might set the expectations and legal responsibilities of each party, but bad renters can still create problems. It’s worth investing a little time in screening your applicants, even with a short-term lease.
Have all applicants complete a rental application that gives you permission to:
- Run their credit, so you can confirm that they have a history of paying debts on time,
- Confirm their income, so you can be sure they can afford the rent,
- And contact their previous landlords to see if there are any issues with their rental history.
Establish a security deposit
Depending on your local area, a standard deposit may be equal to one or two months’ rent. But in most cases, short-term leases come with a deposit equal to one month’s rent.
It can be tempting to skip the deposit on a short-term lease to make it easier to get a renter in as soon as possible. But remember, renters can potentially do a lot of damage in a short time. And while your renters probably won’t damage the property (especially if you have a diligent tenant screening process in place), it’s still best to protect your asset with a security deposit.
Cover your bases
Make sure your month-to-month rental agreement template adequately addresses the following:
- Property location.
- Identification of landlord and all tenants.
- Term (start date and any known end dates).
- Notice to vacate policy.
- Rental rates.
- Security deposit.
- Late charges.
- Any parking and/or storage.
- Utilities.
- Condition of the property.
- Maintenance.
- Pets.
- Rules and regulations for the property and community.
- Emergency access to the property for the landlord.
- Any required legal disclosures or statements.
We know, there’s a lot to manage when it comes to rental properties. Not only are you maintaining a piece of real estate, finding and screening new tenants, and working with current tenants, but you also have to deal with legal tasks like creating a month-to-month rental agreement template. Oh, and find ways to maximize your ROI while you’re at it. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with your rental properties, June Homes can help. Our team of real estate experts creates custom plans for property owners to make sure all these details are properly accounted for. Contact us today to see how we can make your life easier.
