Month-to-month rental agreement template
A month-to-month rental agreement creates a tenancy that renews itself every month until the landlord or the tenant gives notice to end it. It suits short stays, tenants between homes, and units you may sell or move back into. This template covers rent, the deposit, notice periods and rent changes. Read it below, then open it in SignMaster and send it.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 3 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Tenant
- Landlord
Month-to-Month Rental Agreement
This Month-to-Month Rental Agreement (the "Agreement") is between Landlord name (the "Landlord") and Tenant name (the "Tenant") for the rental of Rental address (the "Unit").
1. A tenancy from month to month
The tenancy starts on Start date and continues from month to month, each rental period running from one rent due date to the next. It has no fixed end date and renews automatically each month until ended as described in section 2.
2. Ending the tenancy
The Tenant may end the tenancy by giving the Landlord at least Tenant notice in days days' written notice. The Landlord may end it by giving the Tenant at least Landlord notice in days days' written notice, or any longer notice the law requires, and only for a reason the law allows where a reason is required. Unless the law says otherwise, the tenancy ends on the last day of the rental period in which the notice period runs out.
Tenant's initials: Initials for notice terms
3. Rent
Rent is Monthly rent per month, due in advance on the Rent due day of each month and paid by Payment method. Rent more than Days before a late fee days late carries a late fee of Late fee, not to exceed what the law permits.
The Landlord may change the rent or other terms of this Agreement by giving the Tenant written notice at least Days notice of a rent change days before the change takes effect, or the longer notice the law requires, and within any local rent limits. A change takes effect at the start of a rental period.
4. Deposit
The Tenant has paid a deposit of Deposit. After the Tenant leaves and returns the keys, the Landlord may deduct unpaid rent, the cost of repairing damage beyond ordinary wear, and cleaning needed to restore the Unit to its condition at the start of the tenancy, and will return the balance with a written list of deductions within Days to return the deposit days, or sooner if the law requires.
5. Utilities and services
Paid by the Tenant: Tenant-paid utilities. Paid by the Landlord: Landlord-paid utilities.
6. Occupants, pets and rules
The Unit may be occupied only by the Tenant and Additional occupants. Pet policy: Pet policy. The Tenant will follow any building or house rules attached to this Agreement, will not disturb other residents, and will not sublet or take in a roommate without the Landlord's written consent.
7. Condition, repairs and entry
The Tenant has inspected the Unit and accepts it in its current condition, as recorded on any move-in checklist. The Landlord will make repairs needed to keep the Unit safe and habitable after the Tenant reports them in writing. The Tenant will pay for damage caused by the Tenant or guests beyond ordinary wear. The Landlord may enter at reasonable times for repairs, inspections or showings with at least Hours notice to enter hours' notice, or without notice in an emergency.
8. Leaving the Unit
When the tenancy ends, the Tenant will remove all belongings, leave the Unit clean, return every key and access device, and give a forwarding address for the deposit. If the Unit was built before 1978, the Landlord has given the Tenant the federal lead-based paint disclosure and pamphlet.
9. General terms
Notices under this Agreement must be in writing and delivered by hand, by mail, or by email where the law allows. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the state where the Unit is located, is the entire agreement between the parties, and may be signed electronically.
Contact details
Tenant phone: Tenant phone Email: Tenant email
Landlord address for notices: Landlord notice address Phone: Landlord phone
I have read this Agreement, including how the tenancy ends (section 2) and how the rent can change (section 3).
Tenant
Landlord or authorized agent
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
How a month-to-month tenancy works
There's no end date. Each month the tenancy rolls over on the same terms, and either side can end it, or the landlord can change the rent or the rules, by giving written notice of the length the law requires. That flexibility is the point: the tenant isn't locked into a year, and the landlord isn't locked out of the unit for one.
The trade-off is stability. Rent can rise with a month or two of notice, and a tenant can leave with the same, so many landlords charge a little more for month-to-month than for a fixed lease. If you want the tenant for a set term, use the residential lease agreement instead.
Key terms in the template
- Start date and rental period: the tenancy starts on a date you choose and runs from one rent day to the next.
- Notice to end: how many days' written notice each side gives, with a blank so you can match your state's minimum.
- Rent and changes: the monthly rent, the due date, and the notice you'll give before an increase.
- Deposit: the amount, allowed deductions and the return deadline.
- Utilities, pets and rules: who pays what, the pet policy and the house or building rules that apply.
- Repairs and entry: how to report problems and how much notice you give before coming in.
- Move-out: the condition the unit is returned in, keys, and a forwarding address for the deposit.
Mistakes landlords make with month-to-month
- Writing a 30-day notice period when your state requires longer. Several states require more notice from the landlord once a tenant has stayed a year or more, and some cities limit ending a tenancy without cause.
- Ending the tenancy mid-month by accident. Many states tie the notice to the rental period, so a notice served on the 20th may only end the tenancy at the end of the next full period.
- Raising the rent by text. Give written notice of the increase with the lead time the law requires, and keep proof of delivery.
- Forgetting rent control. In cities with rent stabilization, a month-to-month tenancy can still be covered by limits on increases and on reasons to end it.
Sending it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the agreement
Choose Use this template above. It becomes a template in your SignMaster account, with the tenant signing before you.
- 2
Set the terms
Fill in the gray blanks: address, start date, rent, due date, deposit, the notice periods and who pays which utilities.
- 3
Send it for signature
The tenant adds their phone and email, initials the notice terms and signs from their phone. Add a second tenant role in the template editor if two adults will live there.
- 4
Keep the signed copy
When you countersign, both of you receive the signed PDF and its certificate of completion. Keep it with your notices; a tenancy with no end date can last for years.
Converting a building's expiring leases to month-to-month at once? Bulk send the agreement from your rent roll with a row per tenant and columns like Rental address, Monthly rent and Start date, and track who has signed in one batch.
Questions? Answers.
How much notice is needed to end a month-to-month rental?
It depends on the state, and sometimes the city. Thirty days is common, but some states require more from the landlord, especially after a year. Put your state's period in the template's notice blank.
Can a landlord raise the rent on a month-to-month tenancy?
Yes, with written notice of the length your state requires, and within any rent control limits that apply. The new rent starts at the beginning of a rental period after the notice runs.
Is a month-to-month agreement better than a lease?
It's more flexible for both sides and less predictable. Landlords who may sell or move in prefer it; tenants who want stable rent usually prefer a fixed lease.