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    Free lease renewal letter

    A lease renewal letter is a landlord's written offer to extend a tenant's lease for a new term before the current one ends. It should state when the current lease ends, the proposed new term and dates, the rent (and any change), the deadline to respond, and what happens if the tenant doesn't answer. Fill in the form below to get a printable letter with a tenant response page attached.

    Last reviewed: · by MakeLease Editorial Team

    Lease Renewal Letter generator

    Letter

    Tenant and property

    Separate names with commas. Each tenant gets a signature line on the response form.

    Renewal terms

    Renewal term offered

    Leave blank to start the day after the current lease ends.

    Rent for the new term
    $
    $

    One change per line. Everything not listed stays as in the current lease.

    Tenant response

    Must be before the current lease ends.

    How the tenant should respond
    If the tenant doesn't respond

    Pick what your current lease actually provides. The letter says "as provided in your lease".

    Blank PDF

    Free, no account needed. Showing example details. Replace them with yours.

    Lease Renewal Offer

    Date: November 2, 2026

    To:Jordan Lee, Sam Rivera
    Property:123 Maple Street, Unit 4, Springfield
    From:Taylor Morgan
    Address:500 Oak Avenue, Springfield
    Phone / email:(555) 010-2468, taylor.morgan@example.com

    Dear Jordan Lee and Sam Rivera,

    Your current lease for 123 Maple Street, Unit 4, Springfield ends on January 31, 2027. We would like you to stay and are offering to renew your lease on the terms below.

    Proposed renewal terms

    Current lease ends:January 31, 2027
    Renewal term:12 months
    New term begins:February 1, 2027
    New term ends:January 31, 2028
    Current monthly rent:$1,850
    New monthly rent:$1,925
    Change:+$75 per month (4.1% increase)

    The new rent would apply from the first day of the new term, February 1, 2027.

    Other changes

    • Parking space #12 is included in the rent.
    • The pet fee is removed.

    All other terms of your current lease stay the same unless listed above.

    How to respond

    Please check one box on the attached Tenant Response form, sign it, and return it to us by December 15, 2026. You can deliver or mail it to Taylor Morgan, 500 Oak Avenue, Springfield, or email a scan or photo of it to taylor.morgan@example.com.

    If you accept, we will prepare a renewal agreement (or new lease) with these terms for all of us to sign. If you have questions or would like to discuss the terms, please contact us before the deadline.

    If we don't hear from you

    If we do not receive your response by December 15, 2026, we will treat this offer as declined, and your lease will end on January 31, 2027 as provided in your lease.

    Thank you for being our tenant. We hope you will stay.

    Sincerely,

    Landlord signature (Taylor Morgan)
    Date

    Tenant Response

    Please return by December 15, 2026

    Property:123 Maple Street, Unit 4, Springfield
    Renewal term offered:February 1, 2027 to January 31, 2028
    Monthly rent offered:$1,925
    Offer dated:November 2, 2026

    Check one:

    • [ ] I accept the renewal on these terms.
    • [ ] I do not wish to renew.
    • [ ] I'd like to discuss the terms before deciding.
    Comments or questions: 
    Comments (continued): 
    Best phone or email to reach me: 
    Tenant signature (Jordan Lee)
    Date
    Tenant signature (Sam Rivera)
    Date

    Made free at make.lease/forms/lease-renewal-letter

    What to include in a lease renewal letter

    • The current lease end date, so there is no doubt which lease you are renewing.
    • The new term and exact dates. Write both the start and end date, not just "one more year." The new term normally starts the day after the current lease ends.
    • The rent for the new term, and if it changes, the current rent, the new rent, and the difference. Showing the dollar and percent change up front avoids back-and-forth.
    • Any other changed terms (parking, utilities, pet rules, who handles lawn care), plus a line saying everything else stays the same.
    • A response deadline that falls well before the lease ends, and how to respond: sign and return, email, or reply in writing.
    • What happens if the tenant doesn't respond, matching what your current lease provides (the lease ends, or the tenancy continues month to month).
    • A tenant response section with clear choices (accept, decline, or discuss) and signature lines for every adult tenant on the lease.

    How much notice is required?

    No single federal rule says how far ahead a landlord must send a renewal offer. What does have deadlines is what surrounds it: notice that you won't renew, notice that the tenant is leaving, and notice of a rent change. Those periods are set by state law, sometimes by city ordinance (especially in places with rent stabilization or just-cause rules), and often by your own lease, which may require a set number of days' notice before the end date or may renew automatically unless someone gives notice.

    Because the rules vary by state and sometimes by city, check your state's landlord-tenant law and reread the renewal and notice clauses in your lease before you pick dates. Then work backward: send the offer early enough that the tenant's decision deadline still leaves room for any notice you or the tenant would have to give if the answer is no.

    Renewal letter vs. rent increase notice

    The two documents are easy to mix up because both often mention a new rent. The difference is what they do to the tenancy:

    • A renewal letter offers a new term. The tenant has a fixed-term lease that is ending, and you propose another fixed term (or a switch to month-to-month), possibly at a new rent. The tenant can accept, decline, or negotiate.
    • A rent increase notice changes the rent on a periodic tenancy. The tenant is already month-to-month (or on another periodic tenancy) and stays that way; you are telling them the rent changes on a set date. Use the rent increase notice for that.

    If you have decided not to renew at all, a renewal letter is the wrong document. Use a lease termination letter instead and check the notice your state requires.

    A suggested renewal timeline

    This is a practical schedule many landlords use for a 12-month lease. It is suggested practice, not a legal requirement. If your state, city, or lease requires more notice, move every step earlier.

    Before lease endWhat to do
    90 daysCheck the lease's renewal and notice clauses and your local rules. Review the tenant's payment and maintenance history and compare local asking rents. Decide whether to offer a renewal and at what rent.
    60 to 75 daysSend the renewal letter with a response deadline about 2 to 4 weeks out.
    45 daysResponse deadline. Follow up with anyone who hasn't answered. If the tenant wants to discuss, settle the terms now.
    30 daysSign the renewal agreement or new lease. If the tenant declined, confirm the move-out date in writing and schedule the move-out inspection and listing.
    End dateThe new term starts the next day, or the unit turns over.

    The goal is a decision with enough time left to act on it: either to find a new tenant or to give any notice your lease or local law requires. For pricing and negotiation tactics, see our lease renewal strategies guide.

    Worked example: dates and rent change

    Jordan Lee's lease at 123 Maple Street ends on January 31, 2027. The landlord offers a 12-month renewal at a new rent.

    • New term starts: the day after the current lease ends, February 1, 2027.
    • New term ends: 12 months later, minus one day: January 31, 2028. (Not February 1, 2028. That would make the term 12 months and one day.)
    • Rent change: $1,850 to $1,925 is +$75 a month, or 75 ÷ 1,850 = 4.1%. Over the year that is $900 more.
    • Response deadline: December 15, 2026, about 47 days before the lease ends.

    Month-end starts

    Terms that start late in the month need care. A 6-month term starting August 31 cannot end on "February 30," so it ends on the last day of February (the 28th, or the 29th in a leap year). The generator applies this rule automatically. Check the computed end date on the preview before you send.

    Fair housing: treat renewals consistently

    Renewal decisions are covered by federal fair housing law. The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful to refuse to rent, or otherwise make a dwelling unavailable, because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin, and to discriminate in the terms or conditions of a rental on those grounds (42 U.S.C. § 3604(a) and (b)). It also bars discrimination in rental because of a disability (§ 3604(f)). That covers who you offer a renewal to, the rent you ask, and the term you offer.

    In practice:

    • Use the same written criteria (payment history, lease violations, market rent) for every tenant.
    • Offer the same rent increase and term options to tenants in comparable units.
    • Write down the business reason for any non-renewal or above-normal increase, and keep it with the lease file.

    State and local fair housing laws can add to the federal rules, so check your state's landlord-tenant law too.

    Lease Renewal Letter by state

    Each state page shows that state's cited rules for this document and opens the form preset for the state. States missing from the list don't have enough statewide rules in our dataset yet; use the form above and check your state's statute.

    Delivery tips

    • Follow the notice clause in your lease first. Many leases say how notices must be delivered (in person, by mail, to a specific address). Your state may also set the permitted methods; check your state's landlord-tenant law.
    • Use a method that creates proof. Certified mail with a return receipt (USPS calls it Return Receipt) gives you a dated record of mailing and delivery. Hand delivery works too if you get a signed, dated acknowledgment or bring a witness.
    • Leave a margin on the dates. Deliver early enough that the full notice period fits even if the tenant receives it a few days after you send it. States differ on when a mailed notice counts as given, so don't cut it to the day.
    • Keep a complete copy. Save the signed document, the mailing receipt, the tracking printout and any reply. Store them with the lease.
    • Send the response page with the letter. Print both pages together so the tenant can check a box, sign, and return it without writing a separate reply.
    • Follow up before the deadline. A short reminder a week before the response date catches letters that went unread.

    Frequently asked questions

    Is a lease renewal letter the same as a renewal agreement?

    No. The letter is an offer: it proposes the new dates and rent and asks the tenant to answer by a deadline. Once the tenant accepts, put the agreed terms in a signed renewal agreement, lease extension addendum, or new lease. This template says so in the letter, so the tenant knows a signed agreement follows.

    How do I work out the end date of the new term?

    A new term usually starts the day after the current lease ends and runs to the day before the same date in the final month. A 12-month renewal starting February 1, 2027 ends January 31, 2028. The generator does this for you and handles month-end dates: a 6-month term starting August 31 ends on the last day of February.

    What if the tenant never responds?

    That depends on your current lease. Some leases end on their end date unless renewed; others roll into a month-to-month tenancy. Pick the option that matches your lease so the letter tells the tenant what will actually happen, and follow up before the deadline instead of relying on silence.

    Can I offer a shorter renewal or month-to-month instead of 12 months?

    Yes. The generator offers 12 months, 6 months, month-to-month, or a custom end date. Some landlords charge a higher rent for shorter terms; if you do, apply the same pricing to every tenant in the same situation.

    Can I decide not to offer a renewal to a tenant?

    Often yes, but the reason must not be discriminatory under the Fair Housing Act, and some states and cities limit non-renewal or require specific notice. Check your state's rules before deciding, and document the business reason.

    Sources

    Sources last checked 2026-10-26.

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