To rent most apartments, tenants and landlords must sign an apartment rental contract. An apartment rental contract may be used to rent an apartment for a specified amount of time, generally six months to a year, or a contract may be signed to rent an apartment on a month to month basis. In the case of a month to month rental, the contract is automatically renewed each moth until either the tenant or the landlord terminates the contract. Proper notice is required to terminate a month to month contract; laws vary, but usually thirty days notice is required. In the case of a long term rental, signing a contract means that the tenant agrees to live in the apartment and pay rent on the unit for the period outlined in the contract; failure to do so may lead to financial penalties or court action resulting in eviction. Apartment rental contracts are sometimes referred to as ﾓleases.ﾔ