Q: In North Carolina, must a lease agreement be in writing? This agreement might include details on property maintenance responsibilities, profit division, and provisions for if an owner wishes to sell.Research common issues among landlords, tenants, and general information regarding rented properties. G.S. 42-37.1 to 42-37.3: North Carolina has a strong public policy protecting tenants who exercise their rights to safe housing. Joint tenancy allows multiple individuals to own a property together with equal rights to the entire property, rather than owning specific portions of it. Depending on the circumstances, it may be divided between the parties. A partition action enables you to force the sale of property when coowners are refusing to sell. North Carolina state law does not require leases to be in writing, thus, oral agreements are acceptable. You're giving landlords a bad name. You give him a "Notice of Termination of Tenancy".