What is a typical first step in dealing with a holdover tenant (tenant at sufferance)?

• A. Conclude a New Leasing Agreement
• B. Periodic Tenancy
• C. Ignore the Situation
• D. Issue a Notice

Answer: (D)

When a tenant stays beyond the end of the lease without a new agreement, the landlord’s first move is to issue a notice to vacate (often called a holdover or quit notice) that complies with local law. This formal notice communicates that the tenancy has ended and that the tenant must leave by a specified date. It starts the legal timeline for eviction if the tenant does not vacate and helps prevent accidentally creating a new tenancy, such as a periodic tenancy, by clarifying that the prior agreement has ended.

Concluding a new leasing agreement would imply continuing the tenancy, which isn’t the typical first step when dealing with a holdover. Ignoring the situation doesn’t address the occupancy and could lead to further legal and financial complications. The shift to a periodic tenancy can occur only under specific circumstances, such as when rent is accepted after the term ends, so it isn’t the initiating action.