12 month leases VS month to month leases

Mark Weisleder offers some interesting insights into why a month to month lease may be preferable for both renters and landlords.

For renters, the advantage is obvious. If at any time you are unhappy with your accommodations, you can break the lease with 60 days’ notice.  For students whose family live outside of the city where they are studying can take advantage of such a lease to rent only during the school year and avoid the troublesome hassle of finding subleasers.

For landlords, a month-to-month lease lets you terminate the lease at any time, provided you give 60-days’ notice.

It is a great article, although it lacks one extra point. A big percentage of renters are young adults, who may still be students. Many of them may be moving in with roommates, or boyfriends/girlfriends. Anyone who has been involved in such a situation will remember how roommates and lovers are occasionally unreliable or dramatic.  You might find yourself suddenly with help in paying the rent. A month-to-month lease makes it easier for students in such a situation to get out of a lease they cannot afford, before defaulting on the rent.

In this way the leaser and the landlord save themselves the hassle and cost of eviction proceedings.