A Wilmington renter was taken by surprise when she called her leasing office to discuss switching to a month-to-month lease. Instead, she was informed that she had signed a new year-long lease, a document she had never seen.
The tenant’s lease was set to expire on May 1. In early April, she contacted the leasing office, believing she was well within her rights to discuss her leasing options. The response from the office left her confused; they claimed she had already signed a new lease agreement that would take effect immediately after the current lease expired.
According to the tenant, she was never presented with the new lease, nor did she agree to its terms. She was aware of Delaware’s laws requiring both landlords and tenants to provide 60 days’ written notice if they intend not to renew a lease. This stipulation was clear in her current lease. However, it also stated that if neither party provided notice, the lease would automatically convert to a month-to-month agreement.
The leasing office asserted that they had sent her a notification about the renewal through the mail and that it was her responsibility to check her mailbox. The tenant vehemently disagreed, stating she had never received any mail related to the lease renewal or any communication about it via phone or email…