I would be very interested in hearing this response as I am in a similar situation in Cleveland. My lease also had an automatic renewal clause written into the lease that I was not aware of. It was not written in any other print or bold face, in fact, the terms of my lease are on the first page and the clause that it will renew automatically is in another paragraph on page 2. I even called my landlord at the end of my first year there to ask if there was any paperwork that I needed to sign to renew. The landlord’s answer was short and sweet “no, I didn’t need to do anything, they were just happy I was staying”. No explaination that it automatically renews. Four months later my husband and I bought our first house and I sent the landlord a letter that we would be moving in 2 months. The landlord sent me a letter back stating they were expecting me to pay the balance of the rent due. I was floored and sent another letter stating I was unaware of any renewal clause and why didn’t they mention it to me at the end of my first year when I called to inquire. I never heard back from them. My husband and I have moved into our new house and have been living here for 6 months and I just now get a letter from the former landlord billing us for 6 months rent, advertising, heat and electricity payable within 30 days.

I have the same problem with the “automatically renew leasing contract”, exactly as Beth’s story .
Anyone familiar with tenant law could help us out?

Hi Girls! (Beth, Debra and Sharon)
So all three of you have questions about automatic lease renewals? I can probably shed some light on how they work. I’ll answer in a Q & A format:
Q: Can my landlord automatically renew my lease without new signature?
A: Assuming that you signed the original lease agreement with a lease clause stating that the lease will automatically renew, the yes, it is binding.

Q: Is the automatic lease clause legal?
A: In most cases automatic lease renewals are legal and legit. Rental laws are governed by contractual law– so basically the law is what you agreed to.

Q: Can I get out of the lease even though my landlord said it automatically renewed?
A: Yes, but it will almost always require legal help such as Filing an RPA Mediation Complaint or hiring an attorney. Even if your landlord is non-compliant with the law, like not bolding the text, etc, (you mentioned early)– it probably still requires legal aide to enforce.

Q: How can I prevent an automatic lease renewal?
A: Hind sight is 20/20 on this one… read your contract conditions carefully and be aware of deadlines, etc. Send all termination notices certified. If you feel your landlord is being unfair, file a complaint.

Girls, I hope that helps! Happy renting.

Sincerely yours,

Legal King