Lease Renewal Letter
Offers a tenant a new term, with the rent and any changes stated.
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Dear Sir / Madam,
Your current tenancy at [property address] ends on [date]. I would be glad for you to stay, and I am writing to offer you a new term.
The proposed term is [new term], at a rent of [new rent].
If that works for you, please let me know by [date] and I will prepare the paperwork. If you would rather not renew, tell me by the same date so we both have time to plan.
It has been good having you as a tenant, and I hope you will stay.
What is a Lease Renewal Letter?
A lease renewal letter offers a tenant a further term and states the rent, the length, and anything else that changes. It matters because a tenancy reaching the end of its fixed term does not simply pause: depending on where the property is, it may continue automatically on a periodic basis, roll over on the same terms, or carry statutory renewal rights. The letter is where both sides establish which of those is about to happen.
Landlords and letting agents send them to residential tenants two or three months before a fixed term ends. Commercial landlords send them to business tenants earlier, because the negotiation takes longer. Housing associations and university accommodation offices send batch versions each year. Tenants write the equivalent too — a letter asking to renew and proposing terms — which is worth doing when you want to stay and would rather settle the rent before the landlord starts marketing the property to somebody else.
Renewal is one of the most jurisdiction-specific areas there is. Notice periods, how often rent may be increased, rent caps and the tenant's right to remain are set by state, provincial or national tenancy law: residential tenancy authorities in the Australian states, provincial legislation in Canada, national and devolved rules across the UK, state rent legislation in parts of India, and member state law across the EU. Commercial tenancies may carry statutory renewal rights of their own. Check the current rules and any prescribed forms with the tenancy authority for the property's location, and take advice where a statutory notice is required.
A letter is not a statutory notice. Where local law prescribes a form for a rent increase or for ending a tenancy, a friendly letter does not satisfy it, and using one instead can invalidate the increase or the notice period entirely. The letter does not renew anything on its own — it is an offer, and the tenancy renews only when the tenant accepts in the required way. And it does not resolve outstanding issues: unfinished repairs, deposit disputes or arrears need handling separately, not folding into a renewal offer.
What to put in a Lease Renewal Letter
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Landlord name | For example: Linda Alvarez |
| Organisation address | For example: 1420 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Tenant name | For example: James Whitfield |
| Property address | For example: Apartment 402, Maple Grove Residences, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Current lease ends | Free text |
| Proposed new term | For example: 12 months |
| Rent for the new term | For example: 1,850.00 per month |
| Any other changes optional | One per line |
| Reply by | Free text |
| Issued to (full name) | For example: James Whitfield |
| Their address | For example: 588 Kinnear Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
How to write a Lease Renewal Letter
Check the local rules before you draft
Find out from the tenancy authority for the property's location how much notice a renewal offer or rent increase requires, whether a prescribed form must be used, how often rent may be raised, and whether any cap applies. These differ between states, provinces and countries, and they change. Getting this wrong is not a drafting error; it can leave the increase unenforceable and the old rent standing.
Identify the tenancy and the parties
Give the full property address including flat or unit number, the names of every tenant on the current agreement, the current rent, and the date the existing fixed term ends. Quote the date of the agreement itself. Where the tenancy is joint, address the letter to all tenants, because an offer accepted by one of four people does not renew a joint tenancy.
State the new term and rent clearly
Give the proposed start and end dates and the new rent as a figure alongside the current one — ‘from £1,180 to £1,240 per calendar month with effect from 1 December’ rather than ‘a small increase’. If anything else changes, list it: deposit top-up, pet terms, who pays for what, parking, break clause. Silence about a change is how disputes start six months later.
Say what happens without a renewal
Explain what the tenancy becomes if no new agreement is signed — a periodic tenancy, a continuation on existing terms, or an end date — as local rules and the agreement provide. Then give a response deadline that leaves time to act either way. Tenants make better decisions when the default is stated, and stating it protects you from the argument that they were never told.
Send it properly and record the date
Deliver it in the way the agreement or local law requires, keep proof, and note the date sent. Offer to discuss the terms and give a name and number. Where a rent increase requires a prescribed notice, send that separately and correctly rather than assuming the letter covers both jobs — one document doing two jobs badly is the usual source of an invalid rent increase.
Common mistakes
- Using a letter where local law requires a prescribed rent increase notice, which can leave the increase unenforceable and the previous rent in place.
- Giving less notice than the tenancy law for that state or country requires, so the new rent cannot lawfully take effect on the date stated.
- Sending the renewal offer to one tenant on a joint tenancy, leaving the others unbound and the renewal incomplete when it is needed.
- Describing the rent change in words rather than figures, which produces an immediate disagreement about the amount at the first payment.
- Bundling an unresolved repair complaint or deposit dispute into the renewal offer, turning a routine renewal into a negotiation about something else entirely.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice must a landlord give to renew a lease or raise the rent?
It is set by the tenancy law where the property is, and it varies widely between states, provinces and countries — as does how often rent may be raised and whether a prescribed form is required. Check the current figure with the tenancy authority for that location before sending, and do not rely on a period quoted for somewhere else, however similar it looks.
What happens if a tenant does not sign a renewal?
That depends on local law and on the agreement. In many places the tenancy continues automatically as a periodic tenancy on the existing terms once the fixed term ends, rather than simply stopping. In others it ends on the final day. Find out which applies where the property is, and say so in the letter so the tenant knows the default.
Can a landlord increase the rent at renewal?
Often yes, subject to the frequency limits, notice requirements and any caps in force where the property is, and to the terms of the existing agreement. Some places require a specific form for the increase to be valid. State the current and proposed figures, give the required notice, and check the local rules before committing to a date.
Should a lease renewal be a new agreement or an extension?
Either works. A new agreement is cleaner where several terms are changing and where local practice expects fresh signatures. A short renewal memorandum, signed by both sides and referring to the original agreement by date, is enough where only the term and rent are moving. Whichever you use, get it signed by every tenant named on the tenancy.
Can a tenant ask to renew a lease?
Yes, and it is worth doing early. Write with the property address, your current rent, the new term you want and any changes you are asking for, and request a response by a date. Landlords who plan to re-let often decide months ahead, so a tenant who asks first is negotiating rather than reacting to a listing.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.