Renewal lease letter 2024 (guide + free samples)

A renewal lease letter or you can just call it a lease renewal letter is a short letter that a tenant writes to his landlord or vice versa, saying he wants to keep living in the property after the current lease ends.

Let me tell you this;

Over the last year, 57% of market-rate tenants with an expiring lease renewed.

That means 43% of tenants did not renew their leases.

What I notice from that number is;

It is very challenging to find a great tenant or landlord.

Therefore as a landlord, you’ll do everything in your power to make a good tenant stay.

The same applies to tenants.

As a tenant, you will also want to stay with a good landlord who can even make you forget about owning your house (hahaha).

Forget about that!

Writing an effective lease renewal letter is a huge legal responsibility.

But I have decided to write this guide just to help you handle the processes.

Here you will learn,

• What is a renewal lease letter?
• When to send a renewal lease letter?
• Why is a renewal lease letter necessary?
• What happens if you do not write a renewal lease letter?
• Things to consider before writing a renewal lease letter
• How do I write an effective renewal lease letter?
• Renewal lease letter template
  • renewal lease letter to the tenant
  • renewal lease letter to the landlord
• How to deliver your renewal lease letter
• etc.

Let’s get started

What is a renewal lease letter?

A renewal lease letter is a brief statement of facts written by a tenant to a landlord or by a landlord to a tenant declaring the intention to renew or extend the tenancy when the current lease expires.

In addition to the extension, you may use the lease renewal letter to propose other changes to the lease, such as raising or lowering the rent or adding property restrictions.

Wait!

Is a lease renewal letter not binding?

Well!

A renewal lease letter is not binding, it is just an offer to renew the existing lease, once accepted you will have to sign a binding lease agreement that reflects the renewal terms.

What if you do not want to renew the lease?

Although this question is outside our topic, I will answer you.

If you do not want to renew the lease, you must notify the other party in advance.

And the best way you can do that is by sending a nonrenewal lease letter.

When to send a renewal lease letter?

A renewal lease letter is typically sent 30 days, 45 days, 60 days, or 90 days before the lease expires.

The exact number of days to send a renewal letter varies depending on the terms and conditions set forth in the lease agreement as well as the state landlord-tenant law in the state where the property is located.

For example, if your lease expires on May 31, 2024, the deadline for providing your 30-day renewal notice is May 1, 2024.

Related: 30-Day Notice to Landlord (guide +4 samples)

Why do you need a renewal lease letter?

The following is why you need a lease renewal letter.

• It is a legal way to express the intention to renew the lease and help you with lease agreement compliance.
• It is a quick indicator that you have enjoyed the tenancy.
• Once successful, the renewal lease letter will; (reasons to renew the lease)
  • save landlord time and money by eliminating the need to find a new tenant.
  • save the tenant from the move-out hassles and find a new home
  • prevents vacancy and rental income loss caused by the rental vacancy.
  • lowers the danger of leasing to a problematic tenant, which can happen even with the finest tenant screening.

What happens if you do not write a renewal lease letter?

If you want to continue with your tenancy and renew your lease, it’s important to write a renewal lease letter to your landlord or tenant.

If you don’t do this, the other party may assume that you do not wish to continue with the tenancy and may not offer you a lease renewal.

In this case, it will be your responsibility to send a nonrenewal lease letter to another party, indicating that you do not intend to renew the lease when it expires.

What if you choose to be silent?

Mhhh!

When you opt to do nothing, you will be in violation of the lease agreement and tenancy regulations.

You might face the following consequences

1. If you are a landlord you may be required to compensate the tenant for any inconvenience.
2. If you are a tenant, your lease will automatically convert to a month-to-month lease arrangement, and you will continue to pay rent on a monthly basis until you or your landlord decide to terminate or renew the lease.

Things to consider before writing a renewal lease letter

We have talked a lot!

And now I think it’s time to understand the basic things to consider before making a decision to renew your lease.

The following are the most important things to consider before sending a lease renewal letter to your tenant or landlord.

If you choose to ignore these crucial details, the consequences could be dire and irreversible.

The first thing to consider;

Is your tenant or landlord worth it?

This should be your first consideration.

There is no need to keep a tenant or landlord who is not worth your resources

It makes sense to maintain your tenants if they look after the property, is easy to work with, and pay the rent on time each month.

You won’t have to deal with the headache of finding new tenants, and you’ll guarantee that your apartment has the best tenants who will pay their rent on time.

On other hand, if satisfied with the quality of the property and your relationship with the landlord it’s better to renew the lease than bother finding a new one.

Timing

Time your time before time times you.

Verify your lease’s expiration date to be sure you’re requesting a renewal at the appropriate time.

For instance, if you offer a renewal 90 days before your lease ends, you and your renters will have 30 days to decide whether to proceed with the renewal or not.

If they are not interested, you would then have 60 days to find new tenants.

Check your local landlord-tenant regulations, as some towns and states have more stringent requirements for how far in advance a person must provide a notice of renewal.

Think about changes

Do you want to change anything on your coming lease?

What do you prefer?

A new lease with old terms or old terms in the new lease?

The choice is YOURS.

But if you wish to change anything (rent, lease term, rental rules, etc) you should figure it out in advance and indicate the same in your letter.

A deadline is your friend

A lease renewal notification should contain a deadline for the recipient to react if they wish to extend the lease with the new terms and conditions mentioned in the lease renewal notice.

If a tenant or landlord does not agree to a lease renewal within a specified time, the other parties should have enough to take the necessary steps.

A landlord would find another tenant while a tenant would find another house.

How to write an effective renewal lease letter

A renewal lease letter is written in a business letter format. Begin with your address and contact information, followed by a date and the landlord’s or tenant’s address, salute the landlord/tenant, and begin your letter by indicating that you are writing to notify your intentions to renew your lease, and provide the details of renewal.

Sign off with “Sincerely,” followed by your signature and name.

REMEMBER the primary aim of your renewal lease letter is to notify the other party of your intentions to renew the lease.

So, to write an effective renewal lease letter, do the following:

• Make sure you comply with your Lease Agreement
  • Before you write your letter, consider the provisions of your lease agreement in relation to lease renewal.
  • Focus on the time. When should the letter be sent?
  • However, apart from the length of the notice, your lease agreement may specify what the letter should contain and how it should be delivered.
  • The goal should be to write a notice that complies with your lease agreement
• Includes your name and contact information
• Include the date of the letter
• Include the recipient’s name and address
• Make references to the relevant lease agreement
•  Indicate the lease expiration date
• Include the property address
• Specify the additional term
• Provide the renewal rent
• State what you want the recipient t do in response to your letter
• Be simple and straightforward
• Maintain a professional tone
• Be honest

Renewal lease letter template

The following is a general template for a lease renewal letter that can be used by either landlord or tenant.

Your Name
Your Address
City, State, Zip Code
phone
email

DATE

Recipient’s Name
Recipient’s Address
City, State, Zip Code

Re: Notice of Intention to Renew the lease

Dear [recipeint last name]

This is to inform you that I/We intend to renew our lease agreement dated [start date of existing lease] that will end on [the end date of existing lease].

Due to [describe the motives behind the renewal] I/We would like to extend our lease for another [Enter Term] at the monthly rental of [Enter Rent ($) Amount].

Please notify me/us by [Enter Date] through [email/phone] if you accept this offer.

Sincerely

Signature

Name

Renewal lease letter pdf

The following is a lease renewal letter in pdf format that you can free download for your offline use.

Lease renewal letter doc

Lease renewal letter to tenant

The following is a sample of a lease renewal letter a landlord can send to a tenant.

Landlord’s Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
phone
email

DATE

Tenant’s Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Re: Notice of Intention to renew lease

Dear [Tenant’s last name]

This is to inform you that I intend to renew our leasing agreement dated May 02, 20…, which expires on May 02, 20… (90 days from now)

You have been a perfect tenant throughout your tenancy, you always pay your rent on time and make sure the house is in good condition. I’d like to renew our lease for another year at the same $1,200 monthly rent.

If you accept this offer, please notify me by January 1st, 20…(30 days from today) at my above email or phone number.

Sincerely

Signature

Name

Renewal lease letter to landlord (sample)

The following is a sample renewal lease letter from the tenant to the landlord.

Tenant’s Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code
phone
email

DATE

Landlord’s Name
Address
City, State, Zip Code

Re: Notice of Intention to renew the lease

Dear [Landlord’s last name]

It is with great enthusiasm that I’m writting this letter to notify you that I wish to renew our lease agreement dated May 02, 20…, which expires on May 02, 20… (90 days from now)

Throughout my tenancy, you have proven to be a compassionate and responsible landlord. I’d like to renew our lease for another 1 year at the same $1,200 monthly rate.

If you accept this offer, please notify me by January 1, 2020 (30 days from today) via the email or phone number listed above.

Please note that I’m also open to any renewal offer from you.

Sincerely

Signature

Name

Lease renewal email to landlord

Subject: Request for Lease Renewal – [Your Name]

Dear [Landlord’s Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to express my sincere gratitude for providing such a wonderful apartment for me to call home over the past year. As my lease is coming to an end on [End Date], I am excited to officially request a lease renewal.

I have truly enjoyed living in this space and have grown to appreciate the quiet neighborhood and friendly community that surrounds it. The location is perfect for my work and personal life, and I appreciate the maintenance and upkeep that has been provided by your team throughout my stay.

I understand that there may be some changes to the lease agreement, and I am open to discuss any updates that you may have in mind. I would like to reiterate my commitment to being a responsible tenant and promise to continue treating the apartment with the utmost care and respect.

If there are any necessary steps or forms that I need to fill out in order to renew the lease, please let me know as soon as possible so that I can complete them in a timely manner.

Once again, thank you for providing such a comfortable and pleasant living environment. I look forward to hearing back from you and continuing to call this apartment my home.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
Your responsible tenant

How to effectively deliver a renewal lease letter

This is just as important as composing your letter.

To be effective, your letter must reach the intended recipient.

The best way to serve your renewal lease letter may be governed by your lease agreement or relevant legislation in your state.

Generally, the following are efficient ways to deliver your renewal lease letter

• Delivers the notice by hand to the tenant or landlord’s residence or workplace
• Serving the letter by certified mail so that you can have proof of delivery ( use the mail address indicated in your lease agreement)
• Make use of a sheriff or process server.

Don’t forget to keep a copy.

Read also:

• Sample letter landlord to tenant notice to vacate (3 samples)
• Notice to pay rent to vacate
• Proof of Rent Payment Letter (tips +4 samples )
• Landlord recommendation letter (guide & samples)