For a month-to-month tenancy to be legally valid, which must the contract include?

This question addresses the fundamental elements required for a legally valid month-to-month tenancy contract in California. Understanding this concept is crucial because property management is a significant aspect of real estate practice, and landlords who fail to establish proper tenancy relationships may face legal consequences, including inability to enforce lease terms or evict tenants. The question tests knowledge of contract formation basics applied specifically to rental agreements. To arrive at the correct answer, we must recognize that a valid contract requires three essential elements: offer and acceptance (mutual agreement), consideration (something of value exchanged), and legal capacity of the parties. While oral consent might establish a tenancy relationship in some cases, a legally valid contract for property management typically requires all elements to be properly documented and enforceable. This question is challenging because it tests whether students understand that while a month-to-month tenancy can be established without a written lease, the underlying contract must still contain all essential elements of a valid contract. This connects to broader real estate knowledge about contract law, property rights, and landlord-tenant relationships.