I've been staying at the same place for about 5 years. Initially he had a plan to build a new block next to mine and he made us sign a paper which says we are to leave when the works start.
Fast forward a couple years, nothing is done still and I'm tired to wait every year to know where I'll be living long term, so I go and ask questions at the government's tenants protection desk and they end up telling me the paper is not valid at all, that I can keep my lease after the works etc, so I told my landlord I wished to stay and he went full victim mode.
Arguing with landlords who only mention the market and how they're such nice folks for not evicting you during a global pandemic while you're trying to make them understand for a tiny second the concept of housing insecurity is draining. This pos has 26 tenants in multiple homes and is guilt tripping me because "I'm going back on my word" , which was given years ago in a different economic context.
Most likely will resolve this without having to go to court, because I'd most likely win buy I dont want this asshole to stalk me and find ways to evict me over the years. I'll have to accept an arbitrary increase in rent to shut him the hell up and plenty of other shit I'm entitled to by law but don't have the energy to fight for atm in my life. I hate this system and the west so much, Mao give me strength.
A good rule of thumb to remember is that if you don't get anything out of a contract, that contract is likely to be invalid if tested in a court. Most of the time people don't have the money to defend themselves from it, but American contract law, for all of its faults, is incredibly specific about this.
I'm from Canada but I assume it's more or less the same here? The very nice and helpful clerks told me it was indeed invalid. That's why he told me to look in the mirror because I broke my word to him. As if he wouldnt let me starve in the streets at the first whiff of a late rent payment.. Thanks for your input! 🙏
What op was getting out of it was a place to live on a yearly/monthly basis at some sort of fixed cost, subject to change no more than once a year.
If it's just a standard rental contract plus random clauses in the landlord's favour, but OP doesn't get anything extra in return, it's not really enforceable.
Lots of landlords make you sign leases that are basically unenforceable and wouldn't hold up. Where I live the only exception is if the landlord is renting out a room and shares common areas with you like a kitchen and bathrooms.