What happens when a lease runs past its end date
The United States has no automatic statutory renewal that locks in a fresh two-year term. When a fixed-term lease expires and the tenant stays with the landlord still accepting rent, the tenancy usually converts to a month-to-month holdover under state landlord-tenant law. Either side can then end it by giving the notice the statute or the lease requires, most commonly 30 days, though some states require 60 and some tie the period to how long the tenant has lived there.
Enter the lease end date and your notice period to see the last day to give notice if you want the tenancy to end with the term, the date month-to-month would begin, and, if you add the date notice was served, when termination takes effect.
Basis: holdover and month-to-month rules come from state statutes and local ordinances, not federal law - for example California Civil Code 1946.1 requires 60 days from a landlord when the tenant has been in place a year or more, and 30 days from the tenant. Rules as of September 2026; rent-stabilized units in New York City and similar programs follow separate renewal rules, so check your state statute and any local ordinance.
This calculator is for reference only and is not legal advice. Notice must usually be delivered in a prescribed manner and may need to line up with a rental period. Consult a licensed landlord-tenant attorney about your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rarely. In most states continued occupancy with rent accepted creates a month-to-month tenancy on the old terms. A few jurisdictions can imply a longer term, so the lease language and state statute both matter.
Generally yes, with the statutory notice - often 30 days, longer for larger increases in some states. Rent-controlled or rent-stabilized units follow their own limits instead.