How you end a lease (rental agreement) depends on the terms of the lease itself.
A lease can be oral or in writing. The length of an oral lease is determined by the period for which rent is paid. Most tenants pay rent once a month, for the calendar month. This is a month-to-month lease. A landlord or a tenant may terminate an oral month-to-month lease by giving a full thirty days’ notice to the other party. The thirty days begins on the next rental due date and runs with the rental period. This same rule applies for written month-to-month agreements, unless there is a clause in the lease that requires a longer notice.
A written lease also may be for a longer term, such as a year. For a longer-term lease, the lease normally specifies the method for termination or renewal. If termination or renewal is not specified, then the agreement ends on the date in the agreement.
Some written leases have an automatic renewal clause. This means that the lease renews, usually for a term of the same length as the original lease, unless the landlord or tenant terminates it. In Cleveland, automatic renewal clauses must be conspicuous in the lease, so the tenant is sure to see them. Automatic renewal clauses usually require longer notice to terminate. If you think your lease may have an automatic renewal clause, look at the lease well in advance of the end date, and follow the notice instructions if you do not want the lease to renew.
If a tenant breaks a lease by moving before the lease is up, or if a tenant has had a lease terminated because the tenant is in violation of the lease, the tenant may liable for rent under the agreement until the unit is re-rented.