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 |
Plan backwards from the lease end date
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.
The template
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]
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
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.