Apartment Complex is Charging Me Rent Without a Lease
landlord tenant attorney North Carolina Aug 21, 2026
Location: North Carolina, USA My apartment complex was taken over by a new company back in March. The old owners sent out emails fairly regularly on what to expect in recent weeks, events, and most importantly, document requests. Since March, I have heard nothing from this new company. My lease for the apartment I’ve been at for 2 years expired July 5th. I didn’t get an email about renewal until July 15th, 10 days after my lease had already expired. I got a generic email stating my lease expired and I’m now on a month to month rent that’s charging me an extra $450/mo. They stated I have to submit some pay stubs and forms and I can renew. I did this within 48 hours and heard nothing. I’ve gone into my leasing office several times to fix this, they have all of the documentation needed for lease renewal, yet they just won’t send me a new lease. I’ve talked to 3 different people at the office, all stating I need to talk to the property manager (who’s either always in meetings or out in another office and they won’t let me talk to her directly whenever I ask), so I’m not sure what to do. I’ve gone in about 6 times now, sent 2 emails, and several phone calls. I’ve been told they won’t charge me the additional month-to-month rent, just my usual fee until it’s all sorted. However this was told to me verbally, not in writing. So far it seems accurate with my August rent, but I’m not sure for the future. They refuse to document anything through email and will only respond if I go to them in person. My question is: I’ve done everything I can on my end. Is it legal for them to still be charging me rent with no valid lease? Can things go sideways for me if I continue to live here without a lease? They haven’t tried to evict me, but I’m concerned that it’s been almost 6 weeks and I legally have no protection.
