Lease Renewal Letter Template

A letter offering your tenant a renewal, with the new term, the rent, and a clear deadline to respond. Copy it, fill in the brackets, and delete what doesn't apply — including the "good tenant" line if it isn't true; don't write things you don't mean.

[Date]

[Tenant name]
[Property address, including unit]

Re: Lease renewal offer — [property address]

Dear [tenant name],

Your current lease for [property address] ends on [lease end date].
I'd like to offer you a renewal.

Proposed terms:

  New lease term:    [e.g. 12 months, from date to date]
  Monthly rent:      $[new rent]  [if changed: "an increase of $X / X%
                     from your current rent of $Y"]
  All other terms:   [unchanged / list any changes]

Please let me know whether you'd like to renew by [response deadline].
If you choose not to renew, your lease requires [notice period, e.g.
30 days'] written notice before moving out.

If I don't hear from you by [response deadline], [what happens — e.g.
"the tenancy will continue month to month at $X per month, per your
lease" / "I will list the unit for the period after your lease ends"].

You've been a good tenant and I hope you'll stay. If you have questions
about any of this, reach me at [phone or email].

Sincerely,

[Landlord name]
[Phone / email]

How to use it

Send it early. 60 to 90 days before lease end is a comfortable window: the tenant has time to decide, and if they decline you have time to list the unit. If the renewal includes a rent increase, your state's notice requirement for increases applies too — our rent increase calculator gives you the numbers for the letter.
Spell out the default. The "if I don't hear from you" paragraph prevents the most common renewal mess: a lease quietly expiring with nobody sure what the arrangement now is. Match it to what your lease actually says happens at expiration.
The letter is the offer, not the lease. Once the tenant says yes, put the new term in writing — a renewal amendment both parties sign, or a fresh lease.

Not legal advice. This template is general wording, not legal advice. Notice requirements for renewals, non-renewals, and rent increases vary by state and city, and some jurisdictions restrict non-renewal or cap increases. Check your local rules before sending, especially if you plan not to renew.

Common questions

How far ahead should I offer a renewal?

60 to 90 days before the lease ends works well for everyone. It is comfortably ahead of the 30- or 60-day notice windows most leases and states use, and it gives you a real vacancy runway if the tenant declines. Sending it with less than 30 days left compresses everybody's options.

Can I raise the rent in a renewal offer?

Renewal is normally exactly when rent changes, since mid-lease increases usually aren't allowed. State both the new rent and the change from current rent in the letter. Check that any required notice period for increases is satisfied and that no local rent cap applies to your unit.

What happens if the tenant never responds?

Whatever the lease says happens at expiration — commonly the tenancy rolls to month-to-month on the old terms, though some leases say otherwise. That is why the letter names the default explicitly and gives a response deadline. If the deadline passes silently, follow up once in writing before assuming anything.

Do we need a whole new lease or just this letter?

The letter alone is not the renewal — it is the offer. Once the tenant accepts, sign something: a short renewal amendment that states the new term and rent and says all other terms continue, or a complete new lease. Either works; unsigned assumptions are what cause trouble.