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A month to month rental agreement is a lease that renews monthly. This page offers a free template to fill out online or download as a blank PDF. It suits landlords and tenants, especially for a short stay or an uncertain move date.
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A month-to-month (MTM) rental agreement is a written lease with no set end date that renews each rental period until the landlord or the tenant gives notice to end it. It covers the same basics as any lease: the parties, the premises, the rent and the deposit.
The form suits a tenant between homes, a landlord who plans to sell or move in, and anyone who wants room to change plans. It gives up the steady term of a yearly lease in exchange for that room.
For this type of lease agreement, you will see these terms:
A fixed-term lease runs for a set period, such as one year. A month to month lease has no set end date and renews one month at a time. Both types cover the same basics, such as the parties, the premises, the rent and the deposit. The main difference is how long each side commits.
| Point | Month-to-month lease | Fixed-term lease |
|---|---|---|
| End date | None; it renews each period | Set in the lease |
| How it ends | Either side gives notice; a landlord may also need a cause where the property is (see the note under the notice table) | The term runs out, or both sides agree |
| Rent changes | Possible after notice | Usually fixed for the term |
| Best for | A short stay or an uncertain move date | A steady plan for both sides |
Choose a month to month lease for a short stay or an uncertain move date. Choose a fixed-term lease when you want a steady plan.
The notice that ends a month-to-month tenancy is set by statute, for example not less than 30 days' notice before the end of any monthly period under Fla. Stat. § 83.57 (2025). The table gives each rule with its condition and citation.
Read the row for the place where the property sits, and give the notice in writing where the row says so. Colorado, Connecticut, Michigan, North Carolina and Wyoming are not in the table: our sources hold no month-to-month notice rule for them yet. Our termination letter template puts the notice on paper.
| State | Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 |
| Alaska | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the rental due date named in the notice | Alaska Stat. § 34.03.290 |
| Arizona | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 33-1375 |
| Arkansas | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the termination date named in the notice | Ark. Code Ann. § 18-17-704 |
| California | Owner: at least 30 days before the termination date, if the tenant has lived there less than one year (notice period only; a cause rule may also apply) | Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(c) |
| California | Owner: at least 60 days before the termination date, if the tenant has lived there one year or more (notice period only; a cause rule may also apply) | Cal. Civ. Code § 1946.1(b) |
| District of Columbia | Tenant: 30-day written notice; it expires on the first day of the first month at least 30 days after the notice date | D.C. Code § 42-3202(b) |
| Florida | Not less than 30 days' notice before the end of any monthly period | Fla. Stat. § 83.57 (2025) |
| Georgia | Tenancy at will: 60 days' notice from the landlord or 30 days' notice from the tenant | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | Landlord: written notice at least 45 days before the termination | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 521-71 |
| Idaho | Landlord: written notice to leave within a period of not less than one month | Idaho Code § 55-208 |
| Illinois | Landlord: 30 days' written notice, for a tenancy of less than one year (not week to week) where the tenant holds over without special agreement | 735 ILCS 5/9-205; 735 ILCS 5/9-207 |
| Indiana | Tenancy at will: one month's written notice delivered to the tenant | Ind. Code §§ 32-31-1-1 to 32-31-1-5 |
| Iowa | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Iowa Code § 562A.34 |
| Kansas | Landlord or tenant: written notice ending the tenancy on a rent-paying date not less than 30 days after receipt; the statute sets an exception for some tenant notices | K.S.A. 58-2570 |
| Kentucky | Where the city or county has enacted the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.695 |
| Louisiana | Ten calendar days before the end of the month | La. Civ. Code art. 2728 |
| Maine | Tenancy at will: at least 30 days' written notice by either party, except as provided in subsections 2 and 4 | Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 14, § 6002 |
| Maryland | 60 days before the tenancy ends, for a month-to-month tenancy or a written lease of more than one week | Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-402(c) |
| Massachusetts | Tenancy at will with rent due at periods of less than three months: written notice equal to the interval between rent days or 30 days, whichever is longer | Mass. G.L. c. 186, § 12 |
| Minnesota | At least as long as the interval between rent due dates or three months, whichever is less | Minn. Stat. §§ 504B.135, 504B.147 (2025) |
| Mississippi | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the termination date | Miss. Code Ann. § 89-8-19(3) |
| Missouri | Either party: one month's written notice | Mo. Rev. Stat. §§ 441.050, 441.060 |
| Montana | Landlord or tenant: at least 30 days' written notice before the termination date named in the notice | Mont. Code Ann. § 70-24-441 |
| Nebraska | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437 |
| Nevada | At least 30 days for a periodic tenancy, except as otherwise provided in subsection 2 | Nev. Rev. Stat. §§ 40.251, 118A.300 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days' notice for all residential tenancies; 7 days if the reason for the termination is one set forth in RSA 540:2, II(a), (b), (d) or another subparagraph RSA 540:3 lists | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 540:3, 540:11 |
| New Jersey | Landlord: a residential tenant covered by N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1 can be removed only on one of the good-cause grounds it lists; only where the tenant is not covered by those grounds does 1 month's notice to quit end a month-to-month tenancy | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-56 |
| New Mexico | Owner or resident: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | N.M. Stat. Ann. § 47-8-37 |
| New York | Landlord: at least 30 days' notice, if the tenant has occupied the unit less than one year and has no lease term of at least one year (our sources hold only this tier; for a tenant of one year or more, read § 226-c(2) itself; notice period only, a cause rule may also apply) | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c(2)(b) |
| North Dakota | If a lease converts to a month-to-month tenancy under section 47-16-06 or 47-16-06.1: either party may end it on the last day of a month with at least one calendar month's notice | N.D. Cent. Code § 47-16-15(5) |
| Ohio | Landlord or tenant: notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date | Ohio Rev. Code § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the termination takes effect, except as the Oklahoma Residential Landlord and Tenant Act provides otherwise | Okla. Stat. tit. 41, § 111 |
| Oregon | Tenant: written notice not less than 30 days before the termination date named in the notice | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.427 |
| Pennsylvania | Landlord: a notice to quit at the end of the term, where the lease is for one year or less or for an indeterminate time, must give the tenant fifteen days from the date of service to leave, except as subsection (c) provides | 68 P.S. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | Landlord or tenant: written notice in a form substantially similar to § 34-18-56(c), at least 30 days before the date named in the notice | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 34-18-37, 34-18-16.1 |
| South Carolina | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the termination date named in the notice | S.C. Code Ann. § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | Where the parties set no term: notice at least as long as the term, not exceeding one month | SDCL § 43-32-15 |
| Tennessee | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-28-512 |
| Texas | If the rent-paying period is at least one month: the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after the notice is given | Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001 |
| Utah | Owner: notice served 15 calendar days or more before the end of the month or period | Utah Code § 78B-6-802 (effective 5/6/2026) |
| Vermont | Only where there is no written rental agreement (our sources hold no rule for a written one): landlord, no-cause termination, monthly rent: at least 60 days after actual notice for a tenant who has lived there two years or less, at least 90 days for more than two years | 9 V.S.A. § 4467 |
| Vermont | Tenant: actual notice at least one rental payment period before the termination date, unless inconsistent with a written rental agreement or otherwise provided by law | 9 V.S.A. § 4456 |
| Virginia | Landlord or tenant: written notice at least 30 days before the next rent due date, unless the rental agreement provides a different notice period | Va. Code § 55.1-1253 |
| Washington | Tenant: written notice of 20 days or more before the end of a month of the tenancy | Wash. Rev. Code § 59.18.200(1)(a) |
| West Virginia | Notice of one full period before the end of any period | W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | At least 28 days' notice | Wis. Stat. § 704.19 |
The table gives notice periods only; a row does not say a landlord may end a tenancy without a reason. In New Jersey a covered residential tenant can be removed only on a good-cause ground N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1 lists (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-56). Other places, cities among them, also limit a landlord's reasons, and our sources do not hold those limits yet, so check the local rules before giving notice.
A monthly lease is also shaped by rules on rent increases, written leases and lead paint, each set by a statute named below. Where a statute is not listed, our sources hold no rule on that point yet.
A rent increase on a monthly lease takes written notice in the places below, each with its own lead time and condition.
| State | Notice before a rent increase | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| California | Written notice to the tenant, for a lease from week to week, month to month or another period of less than a month | Cal. Civ. Code § 827(b)(1) |
| California | At least 30 days before the effective date, if the increase is 10 percent or less of the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before, alone or combined with other increases in those 12 months | Cal. Civ. Code 827(b)(2) |
| Colorado | Only in a residential tenancy with no written agreement between landlord and tenant: at least 60 days' written notice to the tenant | Colo. Rev. Stat. § 38-12-701 |
| Iowa | Written notice at least 30 days before the effective date | Iowa Code § 562A.13 |
| Nevada | Written notice 60 days before the first increased payment, or 30 days for a periodic tenancy of less than 1 month | Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.300 |
| North Dakota | The landlord may change the terms of the lease to take effect at the end of a month, on written notice at least 30 days before that month ends; the tenant may then end the lease at the end of the month with at least 25 days' notice | N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07; N.D.C.C. § 47-16-15 |
| Oregon | After the first year of the tenancy: written notice at least 90 days before the effective date | Or. Rev. Stat. § 90.323 |
In California, for a lease from week to week, month to month or another period of less than a month, an increase greater than 10 percent of the rent charged at any time in the 12 months before its effective date, alone or combined with other increases in those 12 months, needs notice delivered at least 90 days before the effective date (Cal. Civ. Code 827(b)(3)(A)).
The notice period is not the only limit: rent control or a rent cap where the property is may also limit how much the rent can rise. Our sources hold no cap figure, so check the local rules before you set the new rent.
The answer depends on the statute where the property sits, and the rules below come from four of them.
A signed written lease also gives both sides a copy of what they agreed, which helps when the notice or the rent is in question.
For target housing, the lessor must give the tenant a lead hazard information pamphlet and disclose any known lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards (42 U.S.C. § 4852d). Target housing is housing built before 1978, except housing for the elderly or persons with disabilities and 0-bedroom dwellings, unless a child under 6 lives or is expected to live there (42 U.S.C. § 4851b).
A month to month rental agreement trades the steady income and housing of a fixed term for the freedom to change plans with notice, and each side gains and loses something. The lists below show the main pros and cons for landlords and for tenants.
A month to month lease fits temporary housing best. Weigh both lists against your plans before you sign, and use FormsPal's fillable form above to put the terms in writing.
Landlords can follow six simple steps to find a tenant and sign a month to month lease. They cover the home, the listing, the tenant check, the payments and the signed agreement. Each step below has a short tip and an image.
Step 1: Set up the premises.
To get inquiries, first make sure the premises offer good living conditions. Then furnish and decorate for the tenant you want to attract. A well kept home also makes tenants more willing to stay month after month.
Step 2: Take pictures.
Take pictures of each space in detail. Shared spaces like lounges, gardens, or parking spaces should also be included. These will help attract tenants who are willing to stay at the premises on a month-to-month basis.
Step 3: Find your ideal tenant.
Once you have the pictures, create an online rental listing with the photos, the lease terms and your contact details. You can also post the listing on rental listing sites or in the local newspaper. A property manager can handle the listing for you for a commission, but brief them on the lease you use.
Step 4: Do a background check.
Screening matters more on a monthly lease, since tenants change more often. Ask for permission to run a background check, and call the applicant's previous landlords and current employer.
You can also ask the tenant to fill out a rental application form to get essential information.
Step 5: Settle the monetary aspects of the lease.
Once the landlord finds the ideal tenant, they can settle the financial part of the lease. The landlord will typically receive the first month’s pay plus the security deposit. Tenants should ask for a receipt for each payment. Agree on how the rent is paid each month, such as by bank deposit or wire transfer.
Step 6: Sign the lease agreement.
Lastly, the landlord and tenant agree on the terms of the contract. Fill out FormsPal's month-to-month rental agreement template below or use our step-by-step lease builder. Once both parties sign the agreement, the lease begins.
| Document Name | Month-to-Month Rental Agreement Form |
| Other Names | Monthly Lease Agreement |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 10 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 54 |
| Available Formats | Adobe PDF |
To fill out a month-to-month rental agreement, enter the parties, the property, the start date and the money terms, then tick the choices on utilities, pets and parking. It is a fillable PDF with 54 fields, so fill in only the parts that fit your lease.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Month-to-Month Rental Agreement template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
Download the blank lease agreement template:
Month-to-month Lease Agreement Template, Adobe PDF (.pdf)
Open the PDF in a PDF editor to type into the fields, or print it and fill it out by hand.
Have these details ready before you start:
Step 1: Date, landlord and tenant
Enter the lease date, the landlord's name and the tenant's name in the three blanks of the opening paragraph.
Step 2: Property address and unit (Recitals)
Enter the street address of the property and the unit number in the Recitals paragraph.
The full address of the premises must be written in detail like so:
Step 3: Landlord's work and commencement date (Sections 2 and 3)
List any work the landlord will do before the Commencement Date, or write "none". Then enter the Commencement Date.
The Commencement Date is the day the monthly lease begins. The notice either side gives to end it later depends on where the property is: see the notice table and our termination letter.
Step 4: Rent, fees and security deposit (Sections 4 and 5)
Enter the monthly rent, the day of the month it is due, the late fee, the NSF/bad check fee and the security deposit amount.
Fill out section 4 as follows:
Then enter the security deposit amount in the deposit section. The deposit can cover unpaid rent and damage beyond ordinary wear and tear, whether or not the tenant gives notice; what a landlord may withhold is set by state law. In Maryland, for example, the deposit may be withheld for unpaid rent, damage due to breach of lease or damage by the tenant in excess of ordinary wear and tear (Md. Code, Real Prop. § 8-203). Some places cap the deposit or the late fee, so check our security deposit guide before you pick the amount.
Step 5: Utilities the landlord provides (Section 6)
On the lines provided, list the utilities the landlord provides at no additional cost. Tenant arranges and pays any others.
Fill out the following details in section 6:
Step 6: Additional monthly utilities fee (Section 6)
Tick the box only if there is a monthly utilities fee on top of the rent. Then fill in the description and the amount per month.
Step 7: Repair requests and lost key fee (Section 7)
Enter the address or person who receives maintenance and repair requests, and the lost key fee amount.
Name a point person, often the property manager, who receives and handles repair requests while the lease runs. Write the full name and address; a phone number is optional.
Step 8: Painting and wallpaper (Section 7)
In the list of rules for the tenant, tick one box in each pair: painting permitted or prohibited, wallpaper permitted or prohibited.
Step 9: Pets (Section 9)
Tick "Pets permitted, per policy below" or "Pets prohibited". If pets are permitted, write the pet policy on the lines provided.
Section 9 explains the month-to-month rental agreement’s pet policy.
Step 10: Pet rent and pet deposit (Section 9)
If they apply, enter the pet rent and the pet deposit amounts. Leave them blank if pets are prohibited.
A pet deposit works like the main deposit: it can cover damage a pet causes, within what state law lets a landlord withhold.
Step 11: Contact details (Section 13)
Under "If to Landlord" and "If to Tenant", enter each party's name and address lines, phone number and email.
These are the addresses where each side receives notices, including a notice to end the lease.
Step 12: Parking (Section 14)
Tick "This Lease includes parking" and describe it on the line, or tick "No parking is included in this Lease".
Step 13: Landlord signature block
In the Landlord block, enter the landlord name, then complete the By, Its and Name lines.
Step 14: Tenant signature block
In the Tenant block, complete the By and Name lines.
To sign the month-to-month rental agreement, both sides read the clauses that have no blanks, sign the printed form in their signature blocks and keep a signed copy each. Go through the steps below in order.
Section 8 is the template's liability release clause. Both sides should read it closely before signing; whether a release like it holds depends on where the property is, so have it checked locally before relying on it.
Some states also bar a lease clause in which the tenant gives up rights: a Delaware rental agreement shall not provide that a tenant agrees to waive or forego rights or remedies under the Code (25 Del. C. § 5301), and in West Virginia a provision waiving the tenant's rights or remedies under the security deposit article is unenforceable (W. Va. Code § 37-6A-4).
These are standard clauses, and both the landlord and the tenant should read them. Either side can ask for a change before signing, and a lawyer can help word it.
Sections 15 to 20 are standard clauses in both short-term and long-term contracts. Both parties should read and understand them.
In Nevada, a written agreement for the use and occupancy of a dwelling unit must be signed by the landlord or agent and the tenant or agent (Nev. Rev. Stat. § 118A.200).
The screenshots show sample entries only. Type your own names, addresses, dates and amounts in every blank.
Yes. The FormsPal month to month lease agreement template is free: build it online with Create My Document, or download the blank PDF above and fill it out by hand or in a PDF editor.
Yes. The screenshots under each step of the fill-out guide show the template completed with sample entries in blue, so you can see a filled example before you write your own.
Click Create My Document at the top of this page and answer a few simple questions. You can save your progress, finish on any device, then download and print the document.
The average time is about 10 minutes. The PDF has 54 fillable fields, and you fill in only the ones that fit your lease.
Yes. Download the PDF, open it in a PDF editor and type into the fillable fields. Then save, print and sign it.
No. A lease with a set end date is a fixed-term lease however short the term, while a month-to-month lease has no end date and runs until one side gives notice.
This template is built for renting a home or apartment, with clauses on pets, utilities and parking. For a shop or office, start from a commercial lease agreement instead.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
