How much notice must a landlord give that they will not renew a lease?
Question Details:
I year lease ending. We've had realtors coming to the door mentioning property for sale. When we checked with the property management company, they were not aware and could not find any record on MLS. Our own investigation stated - Prop on MLS until May 2011. Then came the vacate notice which will be the end of the year lease (40 days notice). Is PA law 90 days notice or is that only for evictions? Basically, what is appropriate number of days for a notice to vacate regarding a 1 year lease?
There is no general requirement that a landlord must provide notice that he or she will not renew a lease; rather, to the contrary, if there is a right to renew, the lease must specifically state that and also state the terms under which it can be renewed. Otherwise, a one year lease will terminate at its end, which means that the tenancy and right to occupy the premises is over when the lease is over. That in turn means the landlod does not need to provide notice that you should vacate--you have to vacate when your lease is up. If you do not, the landlord may then proceed to evict you, though he or she must do so through the court system (i.e. no simply locking you out or turning off utilities).
