Which statement best describes a periodic tenancy?

• A. Periodic tenancy is repetitive with automatic renewal; express, implied, or by law.
• B. No fixed period; terminated by either party.
• C. Wrongful possession and eviction.
• D. A tenancy at sufferance.

Answer: (A)

Periodic tenancy keeps the rental going in repeating intervals, like month-to-month or year-to-year, with no definite end date. It continues until one party ends it, and it can be created in several ways: by an express agreement, by implied agreement (for example, holding over and accepting rent after the term ends), or by operation of law (a statutory periodic tenancy). The key is the ongoing, automatic renewal of the tenancy period.

This is why the statement best describing a periodic tenancy says it is repetitive with automatic renewal and can be created by express, implied, or by law. A simpler description that there is no fixed period and it can be terminated by either party captures part of the idea but misses the renewal mechanism and the multiple ways a periodic tenancy can arise. The other options describe different concepts (such as wrongful possession/eviction or tenancy at sufferance) rather than the recurring, renewal-based nature of a periodic tenancy.