Getting a month-to-month lease - difficult?

18 years ago

My husband and I are moving soon, due to switching to different jobs. We are hoping to buy a house once we move, but we expect it will take at least a few months for that to happen. I don't want to get locked into a long-term lease that we're almost definitely going to have to break either by the end of summer or in the fall, so I'm wondering what our options are? Is it likely that an apartment complex will give someone a month-to-month lease if they're a new renter? I've never seen a lease for less than 6 months in the area that we're moving to, and even that is likely to be too long. Any ideas or suggestions?

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jessicargott_yahoo_com

13 years ago

me and my financee are about to move to south carolina and we need a place to stay before we go. we have two kids and a dog. we are looking for just a two bedroom that is affordable. we would like to pay for three months is advance. we are opened to anything in kansas city or in kansas city, mo.

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Comments (11)

over_n_under
18 years ago
It probably depends on the availability of apartments in the area. If the market is tight and there is not much to choose from, it will be difficult. But if there is a glut of available apartments, they (the landlords) should be easily approachable to a shorter time-period. It is better to earn something than nothing.

You know, 6 months is not all that long. By the time you move, get settled in, start learning the area to determine where you really want to live, find the right house, and then finally close, 6 months might not seem so long. The trick will be to keep from getting pulled into another 6 month lease if the whole process ends up taking 7 or 8 months.
User
18 years ago
Smaller complexes are more willing to negotiate. Be honest, tell them you are looking for a house and want to be able to move out after closing.

I have written 1-year leases that had a clause that allowed the tenants to end the lease and move out ONLY if they showed me the closing papers on their new house.
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I am sorry. There was a previous message that was inadvertently sent without the corrections incorporated into this response. (GardenWeb failed to send the corrected version). Hopefully this additional information will prove more useful. I run a program that helps people break their leases, albeit we operate in Arizona. Often we encounter these situations. The issue here is whether or not a there is a 'liquidated damage' clause in the lease that is assessed in lieu of actual potential damages that could be hard to calculate. It is contrary to public policy to assess both liquidated and actual damages. So if your old landlord is attempting to get you both ways, you can argue that the liquidated damage is void. Also, it should be understood that it is contrary to public policy for contracts to contain penalties. Thus, if the break lease fee was characterized as a penalty, you could argue it was void on that basis. Finally, a liquidated damages must be a reasonable approximation of what the damage could be. If it is beyond what could be reasonably expected to suffer, then it could be construed as void as a penalty. I think two months is the outer limit of what is reasonable. You may want to check out the tenant library area of our website, http://aztenants.org/library.htm for other factors that often arise whe people break their leases. For example, issues relating to security deposits often come into play. Because Arizona's state landlord-tenant act is based on the uniform landlord-tenant language adopted by many other states, a lot of the topics we cover may apply to people outside Arizona. Here is a link that might be useful: Arizona Tenants Advocates
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jazzie
18 years ago
We have signed 4 month leases for people who are very transient. But on a shorter lease, the deposit is absolutely non refundable.
Ripper330
18 years ago
Most properties will do a month to month. The cost is substantially higher. I agree with doing a six month lease and then let it expire and it automatically rolls to a month to month price. Good luck.
kudzu9
18 years ago
Look for someone who wants to sublet for a few months. One resource is:

Craigslist
kudzu9
18 years ago
Well, the link I posted doesn't seem to work. Maybe a GardenWeb blocking policy. What you want to try is:
www.craigslist.com
lazypup
18 years ago
It may also depend upon local regulations. In Florida a rental or lease for a period of less than 6 months is considered a temporary domicile and the landlord is required to pay an additional bed tax therefore most landlords insist on signing a lease of 7 months or more.

On the other hand, if you are honest with the landlord going in, many may be willing to sign a longer lease with an agreement that they will release you early with a 30 day notice.
mrsmarv
18 years ago
I would find a contact in your new area, either a relocation service or through a local realtor, who will be able to give you a list of places that offer short term rentals.
BigMac
18 years ago
My husband needed to rent an apartment in Georgia recently (this week). He asked about short leases. The apartment manager told him he could sign a 3 month lease and pay $50 extra a month or a six month lease at the original price, with an option to terminate the lease after 3 mos. Guess which one he chose, and all because he asked?
kitchenlover
18 years ago
I'm doing a month-to-month now, which was stupid on my part. I've lived at my complex for five years and thought I'd be ready to move into a house this year so last August when my lease was up I signed on month-to-month. Needless to say I didn't move and have paid $50 more per month with this lease. My lease is up again next month and I'm just signing for the full year. If I need to get out early I'll beg and plead. I've been a good tenant (rent late by just a day once) and they have no reason to not let me out.

I think most places would be willing to do it, new renter or not, because there's so much vacancy right now due to low or zero down mortgages.

Getting a month-to-month lease - difficult?

jessicargott_yahoo_com

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over_n_under

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