A lease renewal goes smoothly when it starts from the expiration date, not from the week the lease runs out. This checklist gives long-term rental owners an order of work from that date to a signed, filed renewal or a clean nonrenewal, plus a tracker you can copy.
This is general US education, not legal advice. Your lease, your state and sometimes your city decide how much notice you must give, how it must be delivered and whether you may decline to renew. The state rules quoted below are examples from New York, California, Oregon and Washington, not nationwide law. If you are deciding how much to raise the rent, the rental increase notice guide covers the reasoning and wording. This page covers the whole renewal workflow around it.
The checklist at a glance
- Put every lease expiration date on one calendar.
- Check the notice rules for this property before you set working dates.
- Decide whether to renew on the same terms, renew with changes or not renew.
- Set any new terms and keep the evidence behind them.
- Send the offer or notice through a permitted delivery method.
- Track the tenant's response.
- Sign, deliver and file the completed lease.
- Update your records and set the next reminder.
1. Put every expiration date on one calendar
Pull the end date from each signed lease, not from memory or your rent ledger. Next to it, note:
- The tenancy type: a fixed term that ends on a date, or a month-to-month or other periodic tenancy.
- Any renewal or notice clause in the lease itself, including automatic renewal or conversion to month-to-month.
- Who must sign: every adult tenant on the lease, any co-signer and you or your entity.
- Whether the unit is covered by rent regulation, a subsidy program or a local ordinance.
One calendar matters most when you own several doors or use a manager. If a property manager handles renewals, agree in writing who sends the offer and who approves rent changes. The rental property management guide covers how to divide that work.
2. Check the rules before you pick dates
Notice periods differ by state, by tenancy type and sometimes by the size of the rent change. These examples show why no single 30-, 60- or 90-day rule works everywhere.
| Jurisdiction and situation | What the source says |
|---|---|
| New York rent-stabilized apartments | In NYC, owners give written renewal notice by mail or personal delivery 90 to 150 days before the lease expires. Outside NYC, owners sign and date the notice and send it by certified mail 90 to 120 days before expiration. Tenants choose a one- or two-year term and have 60 days to sign and return the lease. (NY HCR) |
| California month-to-month residential tenancies | A rent increase of 10% or less over 12 months needs at least 30 days' written notice. An increase above 10% needs at least 90 days. Notice goes by personal delivery or mail, with extra time when mailed. (Civil Code 827) |
| Oregon tenancies other than week-to-week | No increase in the first year, at least 90 days' written notice after that, no more than one increase in 12 months and a percentage cap with exemptions. The notice must state the increase, the new rent and the effective date. (ORS 90.323) |
| Washington residential tenancies | At least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase, which cannot take effect before the current term ends, with exceptions for some subsidized tenancies. A new rule of tenancy needs 30 days' written notice. (RCW 59.18.140) |
Use your state's statute or housing regulator, your city's rules and your lease. Then set your working dates earlier than the legal minimum, so a late decision or a returned letter does not push you past it. When the rules are unclear, ask a local attorney or landlord association before you send anything.
3. Decide whether to renew
Make the decision early enough to meet the notice date you found in step 2. Answer these questions and write the answers down:
- Has the tenant paid on time, and are there documented lease violations?
- What does the unit need before another term: repairs, upgrades or a turnover you would rather schedule?
- What would a vacancy cost? Count lost rent, cleaning, repairs, marketing and screening time against any rent increase.
- Do you plan to sell, move in or renovate during the next term?
Apply the same criteria to every tenant. The Fair Housing Act bars refusing to rent, making housing unavailable or setting different terms because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin or disability, with limited exemptions (HUD; 24 CFR Part 100). Many states and cities protect more classes. Some also limit when an owner may end or decline to renew a tenancy. Oregon's rent statute, for example, refers to separate rules for ending a tenancy without tenant cause. Check those rules before you choose nonrenewal.
4. Set the new terms and keep the evidence
List exactly what changes and what stays the same: rent, term length, start date, utilities, pets, parking and any new rules. For a rent change, save the evidence you used, such as dated comparable listings and your expense figures. The rent pricing guide covers how to choose a number.
Check every change against your local rules and the lease. Some rules limit what can change at renewal. NY HCR, for example, says a rent-stabilized renewal lease generally keeps the same terms and conditions as the expiring lease. It also lets the owner collect enough extra deposit to bring the deposit up to the new monthly rent. Deposit rules elsewhere differ.
5. Send the offer or notice
Put the offer or notice in writing. Include the property address, the names of all tenants, the current expiration date, the new term and rent, any other changed terms, how to accept and the date you need an answer by. If you are not renewing, state the date the tenancy ends and follow the form and delivery rules your jurisdiction requires.
Use a delivery method the law and your lease allow, such as personal delivery, mail or electronic delivery where permitted. NY HCR, for example, allows electronic renewal leases for rent-stabilized apartments only when the tenant gives voluntary written consent on a specific form. Keep proof of delivery: a copy of the notice, the mailing receipt or a signed delivery note.
6. Track the response
Log the date you sent the offer, the date you need a reply and every follow-up. If you have heard nothing shortly before the reply date, send a short reminder through the same channel.
If the tenant asks for changes, record what was proposed and what you agreed. If there is no answer by the end of the lease, what happens next depends on the lease and local law. Some leases convert to month-to-month. Elsewhere, a tenant who stays on may become a holdover with its own rules. Get local advice before you treat silence as a yes or a no.
7. Sign, deliver and file the completed lease
Use a new lease or a written renewal addendum that references the original lease, whichever your lease, local practice and regulator support. Attach any required riders and disclosures. NY HCR, for example, requires a lease rider with rent-stabilized renewal leases. Collect signatures from every adult tenant on the lease, then sign on your side.
Give the tenant a fully signed copy and keep proof that you delivered it. New York rent-stabilized tenants can file a complaint with the state when an owner fails to provide a copy of the signed lease. Store the signed lease, notice, delivery proof and correspondence in one folder per unit.
8. Update your records and set the next reminder
- Change the rent amount in your ledger, payment portal and any autopay instructions.
- Record any deposit change and where the deposit is held.
- Update your rental property expense spreadsheet so income reflects the new rent from its effective date.
- Add the new expiration date and your working dates for the next renewal to the calendar.
- Schedule any repairs you noted through your rental maintenance calendar. A walkthrough with the rental property inspection checklist is a separate task that follows your lease and local entry rules.
If you decide not to renew, plan the move-out inspection, deposit accounting and marketing for the next tenant. The tenant screening checklist covers the next applicant.
Copy this renewal tracker
Create one record per lease. Copy these fields into a spreadsheet as column headings, or into a note for each unit.
- Property and unit.
- Tenants on lease. Names only; keep other personal data out of the tracker.
- Lease type. Fixed term or periodic.
- Current expiration date.
- Rules checked. State, city and program rules, with the source and the date you checked.
- Legal notice date. The latest date your rules allow for the notice.
- Working send date. Your target, set earlier than the legal date.
- Decision. Renew on the same terms, renew with changes or not renew.
- Proposed terms. Rent, term length and other changes.
- Evidence file. Where the comparables and expense notes are saved.
- Sent date and method. Include where the proof of delivery is saved.
- Reply due.
- Response. Accepted, countered, declined or no reply.
- Signed copy delivered. Date and method.
- Records updated. Ledger, portal, deposit and calendar.
- Next expiration date.
- Status. Not started, waiting on tenant, waiting on owner or done.
A fictional planning example
These working dates are for a fictional 12-month lease ending June 30, in a place where the example legal minimum is 60 days' notice. They are an internal planning aid, not legal deadlines. Replace them with dates that meet your own rules.
| Working date | Task |
|---|---|
| March 1 | Confirm the rules and pull comparables |
| March 15 | Decide on renewal and terms |
| April 1 | Send the written offer, about 90 days ahead |
| April 21 | Reply due |
| April 22 | Follow up if there is no reply |
| May 1 | Latest notice date in this example, 60 days before June 30 |
| May 15 | Signed renewal returned and fully signed copy delivered |
| June 30 | Current term ends; records updated for the July 1 start |
Common questions
Does a lease renew automatically?
Only if the lease or local law says so. Some leases convert to month-to-month at the end of the term, some renew for another term and some simply end. Read the renewal clause and check your state's rules.
How early should I send a renewal offer?
Early enough to meet the longest notice period that could apply, plus time for a reply and a fallback. In the examples above, minimum notice ranges from 30 days for a California month-to-month increase of 10% or less to 90 days in several situations, and NYC rent-stabilized renewals have a 90-to-150-day window.
Can I raise the rent at renewal?
Often, but some places cap increases, set notice periods or regulate the unit. Oregon caps increases for many units and allows one per 12 months, and Washington requires 90 days' written notice. The rental increase notice guide covers the wording and how to explain the change.
Should I use a new lease or a renewal addendum?
Either can work if every party signs and it clearly states the new term and any changed terms. Use the format your lease, local rules and regulator require. New York rent-stabilized renewals, for example, have their own state renewal lease form and rider.
Sources checked October 21, 2026. Notice periods, caps and delivery rules change, so confirm the current rules for your property before you send a notice.