Failure to Renew Rental Lease
I have been renting an apartment for three years using yearly leases to the same tenant. The lease for 2002 expired on December 31, 2002. The lease agreement states that if the Tenant wishes to cancel or not-renew the lease, they must give two months advance written notice. Upon my delivering of the new lease for year 2003 (January 1, 2003) my tenant informed me that they wish to not renew the lease and want to change to a month-to-month rental basis, thus violating the required two months written notice. I will only rent the apartment using a yearly lease as I have for the past three years to the same tenant. Had I known of her intent to not-renew, I would have searched for another tenant to start the new lease term for 2003. I wish to keep my tenant on a yearly lease basis and feel that she is obligated to sign the new lease due to her lack of non-renewal notice. Is the tenant obligated to renew the lease or am I forced to accept her on a month-to-month rental if she refuses to sign the renewal?