We have been doing 1 year leases every year for the past 4 years.
Every year, in Section 2 "Length of Tenancy" our landlord has checked off the box:
However, this year, he changed things up and check off this box and had us initial the boxi) the landlord and the tenant may agree to enter into a new tenancy agreement
- If the landlord and tenant do not enter into a new tenancy agreement, the tenancy continues on a month-to-month basis on the same terms unless the tenant gives legal written notice to end the tenancy.
We were weary of putting our initials on this but felt that we had no choice really because we wanted to renew for another year and were not willing to refuse to sign the lease and start looking for a new place to live at the end of April 2017.ii) the tenancy ends and the tenant must move out of the residential unit
- If you choose this option, both the landlord and the tenant must initial in the boxes to the right
When we quizzed our landlord why the change, he insisted that he was standardizing this across his other rental units as well and it was for more protection for him as the landlord in case of a bad tenant that he wants gone at the end of the tenancy. He insisted that he wanted us to stay on as tenants (if we wanted to after the lease) as we are good tenants.
While we believe him on the statement that he wants us to stay, we are suspicious that this is a backdoor way to get around the government capped rent increases since this clause basically states that the tenancy ends. Our rent is below the market rate of rent by around $200 or so in similar units renting in our building.
What we assume is that he wants market rate rents and that his move in early 2018 is to get to us with a new renewal agreement with rent jacked up to whatever the market rate is at.
We think this is likely where this is heading and will use the year to think through various different scenarios in terms of where we will live in spring of 2018.
Anyways, was wondering what other opinions on this may be?