What the letter has to say
| Item | Write it as |
|---|---|
| Current lease end date | The exact date from the signed lease |
| Renewal options | Each term length and its monthly rent, in a short list |
| Deadline to respond | A date, not "soon" |
| How to respond | One channel, and who reads it |
| If they do not respond | What your lease says happens, for example month-to-month or move-out |
| Anything that changes | Fees, utilities or rules that differ from the current lease |
When to send a lease renewal letter
Send it before the notice period your lease and local law set for a rent change begins, and earlier if you can. The earlier the resident answers, the more time you have to fill the unit if they leave. Work out the date by planning backwards from the lease end date.
Plan from the end date backwards
Read it right to left when you plan: start from the end date and your required notice period.
Start from the end date and the notice period your lease and local law require for a rent change. Everything else moves back from there.
| Step | When |
|---|---|
| Decide whether to offer renewal and at what rent | Before your required notice period starts, with time for owner approval |
| Get owner approval on the rent | Before the letter is drafted |
| Send the letter | No later than the start of the notice period, earlier if you can |
| Follow up once | About halfway to the response deadline |
| Start turnover planning if they decline | The day you hear |
Rent increase notice periods, limits on increases, and rules on refusing a renewal vary by state and city. Some places limit how much rent can rise or require a reason not to renew. Apply your renewal decisions the same way to every resident in the same position.
This is a working template, not legal advice. Notice periods, fee limits and required wording depend on your lease and on state and local law. Check yours with your own counsel before using it.
Renewal letter or renewal notice?
People use the two names for the same thing: a written offer to renew, with the terms. Some leases and local rules use "notice" for the formal written notice of a rent change, which can have required wording or delivery. If yours does, the letter below is the friendly cover and the required notice goes with it.
Template 1: renewal with a rent change
Subject: Your lease renewal for [unit]
Hi [first name],
Your lease for [unit] ends on [end date]. We would like to offer you a renewal on these terms:
[Term 1], [rent 1] a month
[Term 2], [rent 2] a month
[Any change from your current lease, in one sentence, or delete this line.]
Please let us know which option you would like, or that you plan to move out, by [response date]. Reply to this email or contact [role] at [contact].
If we do not hear from you by then, [what your lease says happens].
[Firm name]
Template 2: renewal at the same rent
Subject: Renew your lease at [unit] at the same rent
Hi [first name],
Your lease for [unit] ends on [end date], and we would be glad to have you stay. We can renew for [term] at your current rent of [rent] a month, with no other changes.
To renew, reply to this email by [response date] and we will send the renewal to sign. If you plan to move out instead, please let us know by the same date.
[Firm name]
Put the same rent in the subject line. It is the one piece of news that gets a renewal answered the same day.
Template 3: the reminder
Subject: Reminder: renewal decision for [unit] by [response date]
Hi [first name], a reminder that we need your renewal decision for [unit] by [response date]. Your options are below again. If we do not hear from you, [what your lease says happens].
[Term 1], [rent 1] a month
[Term 2], [rent 2] a month
A filled-in sample
This is Template 1 completed for a fictional resident, so you can see how it reads. The names, dates and rents are made up.
Subject: Your lease renewal for Unit 4B
Hi Dana,
Your lease for Unit 4B at 210 Alder Street ends on 31 March. We would like to offer you a renewal on these terms:
12 months, $1,450 a month
6 months, $1,500 a month
Parking stays included. From the new term, water is billed separately, as set out in the attached renewal.
Please let us know which option you would like, or that you plan to move out, by 15 January. Reply to this email or contact the leasing office at leasing@example.com.
If we do not hear from you by then, your lease will continue month to month at $1,600 a month, as section 3 of your lease sets out.
Alder Property Group
Notice what it does: two options with their own rent, the one change in its own sentence, a date to answer by, and what happens if nobody answers. A resident can decide without calling.
Draft the batch with AI
Export the leases ending in the next few months, with the approved renewal rent added for each. Attach it in a ChatGPT or Claude Project and send:
Using the attached list of leases and approved renewal rents, draft a renewal letter for each resident from the template in this Project. Use only the dates and amounts in the list. If a lease has no approved rent, skip it and list it at the end as TO CONFIRM. Do not add terms that are not in the list.Check each letter against the lease and the owner approval before it goes out. If you are new to setting up a Project for this, start with how to choose and set up your AI tool.
Before a renewal letter goes out
- The end date matches the signed lease, including any earlier renewal.
- The rent is the amount the owner approved, and the increase is within any local limit.
- The letter leaves the resident enough time under your required notice period.
- The response deadline is a date, and someone is assigned to read the replies.
- Residents in the same position got the same offer and the same timeline.
Questions
What should a lease renewal letter include?
The current lease end date, each renewal term with its rent, anything that changes, a date to respond by, how to respond, and what happens if the resident does not respond.
How early should a lease renewal letter go out?
At least as early as your required notice period for a rent change, which depends on your lease and local law, and earlier if you can. Plan backwards from the lease end date.
Should the letter offer more than one term?
Offering two terms makes the decision easier and often gets a faster answer. Each term needs its own approved rent.
What if the resident does not respond?
Follow up once, then do what your lease says happens at the end of the term. Write that consequence into the first letter so it is not a surprise.
Can AI decide the renewal rent?
No. The owner and the manager decide the rent. AI can draft the letters once the approved figures are in the list.