How to Write a Lease Renewal Letter: Samples Included

When a lease ends, you, the landlord, or the rental company can do two things: evict the tenant or renew the lease. If the tenant ticks all your boxes and you’d love for them to continue renting the property, sending them a lease renewal letter is the best thing to do. This way, you tell the tenant you love having them and would like to continue. 

Lease renewal letters can include anything you want to be included or excluded from the previous lease. If you want everything to remain as is, this can also be written in your lease renewal letter. 

This article will discuss everything you need to know about lease renewals and how to write the best lease renewal letters. 

How to Send a Lease Renewal

A lease renewal letter can be sent any way you please. For ease on both you and the tenant, you should consider sending the lease via email and having them e-sign. This way, you don’t have to spend time or money printing it and keeping multiple copies. 

When Should You Send a Lease Renewal Letter?

Ideally, a lease renewal letter should be sent at least 90 days before the expiration of the existing lease. This is important as it gives the tenant time to make decisions and consider whether or not they want to continue being your tenants. 

If you cannot send the lease within 90 days, you should ensure it’s sent within 30 days of the existing lease expiring. The shortest time you can give the tenant before sending a new lease is 30 days.

 If you have a great relationship with the tenant and know they do not intend to vacate your property, you can forgo all the formality and send the lease whenever you’re ready. 

On the other hand, if you have a tenant you’re unsure of, the safest thing to do would be to send the lease at least 90 days before the lease expires. This way, the tenant knows you want to continue renting to them. And if they have other intentions, you’ll also know beforehand. 

How to Write a Lease Agreement Letter

In this section of this article, we’re going to discuss everything you need to know when writing a lease renewal letter:

1. You and the tenant’s contact’s address: The lease renewal letter should begin with your name and address. It should be followed by the date the letter was written, the tenant’s name, and the address. 
2. The body of the letter should begin with the address of the rental property and other relevant information concerning the property, this includes the unit number, etc. 
3. Include a copy of the original lease or mention a relevant section. This is especially important if you’re amending any section of the lease. If you’re not, you can ignore this part entirely, or state in the lease renewal letter that terms remain the same. 
4. If you’re increasing the rent or altering any important part of the agreement, this must be mentioned in the letter. This informs the tenant of the relevant changes, so they don’t miss it. 
5. Attach a copy of the lease agreement: A lease renewal letter differs from a lease agreement. A lease agreement contains everything the tenant needs to know about renting your property, while a lease renewal letter is simply a letter stating the renewal of the said lease. 
6. Include relevant dates: In your lease agreement letter, ensure you include the relevant dates, such as when the renewal is, and if any changes are made, they come into effect. 
7. Sign it: A lease letter is an official document. As such, it should contain your signature. You may decide not to sign the letter, especially if you’re sending an email, but the lease agreement must be signed. 

Considerations Before Sending Lease Renewal Letters

To ensure you’re ready to renew a lease with your tenants, here are some considerations to bear in mind:

1. Do you want to continue renting to these tenants? 

One of the most important questions to consider when renewing leases is whether or not you want to keep these clients. If you have no intention of keeping your current crop of tenants, an eviction notice should be what you’re sending instead of lease renewals. Lease renewal letters should ONLY be sent. If you intend on keeping your current tenants. 

2. How long do you intend to renew? 

Do you intend to renew the lease for a long time? Ideally, the length of the new lease should be the same as the old one. You can decide to lease longer, but it shouldn’t be lesser. 

If you choose to renew the lease, you should do so it ends in the summer. This is important because summer is the peak rental period. So, if you have to look for new tenants, summer is easily the best period. 

3. Do you want to change the terms of the agreement?

If you want to change the terms of the agreement, lease renewal is the best avenue to do it. When renewing leases, your tenants expect changes. 

4. Do you want a month-to-month lease?

It is not unusual for tenants to ask for month-to-month leases. So, if you’re open to a month-to-month lease instead of a longer-term one, you can accept your tenant’s proposition. The downside with this type of lease is the cancellation period. With a lease like this, any party can cancel without much thought. 

5. Do you have renovation intentions?

If you have intentions of renovating your property, you may want to skip renewing the lease. Also, having this in mind months before making the decision is important as it helps you and the client decide on the best way forward. 

Lease Renewal Letter Template

Name of Tenant
Tenant's
City, State, and Zip Code

Date

Name of Landlord
Landlord's address
City, State, and Zip Code

RE: Lease Renewal

Dear (Tenant’s name):

This letter is to inform you that your lease for ――――― will expire on the ――――― and is due a renewal. You’ve been a model tenant and I would like to offer a lease renewal at the current rate and all other conditions remaining the same. 
Do you want to renew the lease at:

One Year 
Six months
Month-to-month

If you’d like to renew the lease, please choose a preferred duration and return this letter to me. If you have any concerns or inquiries, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Date ―――――.
Kind Regards, 
(Name of Landlord) ―――――
(Name of Tenant) ―――――

Lease Renewal Letter Template with Rent Increase

Name of Tenant
Tenant's
City, State, and Zip Code

Date

Name of Landlord
Landlord's address
City, State, and Zip Code

RE: Lease Renewal

Dear (Tenant’s name):

This is to notify the occupant of ―――――the lease renewal and rent increase. Beginning on the ―――――, the monthly rent of ―――――will be increased to $ ―――――. 
This current lease will end on the ――――― and this new rent increase will come into effect from the next month’s rent. 

If you accept these, please sign this letter and send a copy. If you have any questions or inquiries, please reach out to me. 

(Name of Landlord) ―――――
(Name of Tenant) ―――――

Conclusion

When sending a lease renewal letter to a tenant, especially with changes to the original lease, it is essential to do this with ample time. This way, both you and the tenant have time for other arrangements if they’re not renewing.