Is it common for landlords to refuse a month-to-month renewal after the initial 1 year lease? Advice wanted! (And beware Unitii PM.)
TLDR: When I signed my apartment lease with CAPREIT, they said that it was standard to start with a 1-year commitment, then switch to month-to-month. Unitii PM bought the building but implied that this would still be possible. One month before the end of the lease, when I tried to negotiate for a 6-month or month-to-month renewal, they changed their stance and are now only offering me the 1-year renewal. However, I will not be in Edmonton for longer than 6 months after my current lease ends.
More detailed version below:
Hello! I moved to Edmonton last summer for work and signed a 1-year lease on a CAPREIT-managed apartment, ending June 30, 2026. When I told the leasing office that I would only be here for 18 months on my work contract, they said that it was standard to start with 1 year and then we could switch to month-to-month tenancy afterwards. (In hindsight, I should've asked for this to be written into the lease agreement, but they told me that this was just how things worked around here.)
Unitii PM bought the building several months ago.
I received a notice of renewal on my door on April 15, offering me another 12-month renewal for the same price if I confirmed by May 15. I made several attempts to get in touch with the building manager to ask for either a 6-month term, 3-month term, or a month-to-month, but they were either working at a different building, sick, or busy, so it was not until May 14 (a Friday) that I managed to get a phone call with them to discuss my situation. The building manager indicated that I should email them after the weekend with a written request and proof of my 18-month contract, so they could get permission from the head office, so I did.
Throughout these encounters with the building manager and the other office staff, they indicated pretty clearly that even if the 6-month term were denied, they expected at least a month-to-month option to be on the table, and even quoted me the expected surcharge ($150 extra per month). The fact that there even is an "expected surcharge" suggests as much.
On May 27, having not heard back, I emailed again and did not receive a response. I called the building manager yesterday (Friday May 29) at 4 pm and was told that their head office had just informed them that the only option they were willing to consider was the 12-month renewal; there would be no 6-month or month-to-month option. I asked for this in writing and should receive it Monday.
So, I am 1 month from the end of the lease, and given that there are 7 months remaining on my work contract and I do not intend to stay in Edmonton afterwards, there is no scenario where I sign for another 12-months. I imagine that finding another place remains the most feasible next step, even if it'll be much harder to find a place willing to start with a 6-month lease (or shorter). But I also feel pretty severely cheated and hope to explore escalation methods as well.
I welcome any advice that folks have on what my options are, and I'm curious if this situation is something that other folks have experienced or heard of?
Thanks for reading!