I live in middlesex county, NJ and have an issue with auto-lease renewal language of my lease (annual ending on July 26, 2006)
The 2004 lease contains a bold-faced typical auto-lease renewal provision. Fine.
However, the landlord sent a "Lease Renewal Offer" on Mar 31, 2006 that states the following:
Purpose of Notice:
Your landlord is increasing your rent. In order to do this, your landlord must terminate (end) your lease and offer you a new 360 day lease at an increased rent.
Termination of Lease: Your lease is terminated as of 7.26.2006. You must quit and vacate the property as of that or accept this renewal offer. This means you must move out and deliver possession to the landlord or sign this renewal.
This is the thing: no where on the Renewal Offer is there any language as to what happens if the Renewal Offer is not signed or sent back (which is what happened) to the Landlord.
I would like to move out but the landlord is attempting to cite the auto-renewal lease provision for claiming early lease termination fees.
The Renewal Offer says that in order to charge an increased rent (which I have started to pay) the Landlord must terminate my lease and offer me a new 360day lease with the new increased rent. Though I am paying the higher rent, i never accepted or signed the Renewal Offer. Since the landlord does not have new signed lease but has been receiving the higher rent requested in the Renewal Lease offer, i posit that the new lease is, in effect a verbal month-to-month lease and therefore no early termination fees of the old annual lease can be applied.
Please advise. Thank you.

