united-states contract-law property tenant payment
Tenancy at Will vs Periodic Tenancy: payment
<p>Is it possible to pay for a tenancy at will without having the tenancy at will becaome a periodic tenancy? </p>

<p>I ask this because a classmate told me that you cannot pay for a tenancy at will. The moment you pay it becomes a periodic tenancy. Something about what my classmate said is very strange. Then again, if tenancy at will does not involve payment I can see why the landlord/roommate would be able to terminate it whenever he/she wishes. The landlord is basically just doing the tenant a favor if not asking for money. I guess it is kind of like how my parents haven't kicked me out or asked for rent even though I still live with them.</p>

<p>BTW, I noticed that a lot of websites are saying that a month-to-month tenancy and a tenancy at will are interchangeable. I don't think this is correct but if I am wrong please let me know in detail why because if I am wrong then I am almost certain that this fact would figure in to the answer to my question.</p>

<p>A periodic tenancy, a tenancy-at-will and a month-to-month tenancy are all different names for the same arrangement - a tenancy without a defined end date. Which term is used depends on the custom in each jurisdiction. Very specifically, a periodic tenancy follows on from a fixed term tenancy while a tenancy-at-will is created at the outset, however, there is no practical difference in their operation. Both are month-to-month tenancies if the notice period is one month which is almost ubiquitous, however, if there is a different notice period they are not strictly month-to-month. See <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tenancy-at-will.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/tenancy-at-will.asp</a></p>

<p>You have to pay rent under all of them.</p>
