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Write the renewal offer or extension agreement
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Lease Renewal Offer
Date:
To:
Rental address:
Your lease ends on . I would like to offer you a renewal for a new term from to .
The rent for the new term will be a month. All other terms of your lease stay the same.
Please let me know by whether you will renew. If you accept, I will send a lease extension agreement for us both to sign. If you do not plan to renew, please tell me in writing and plan to move out by the end of your lease.
Questions: .
Landlord
Lease renewal letter or lease extension agreement?
Renewal offer letter
Sent first. It tells the tenant the lease is ending, offers a new term and rent, and sets a reply date. In New York, Virginia and Washington, this is the notice the timing rules below measure.
Lease extension agreement
Signed once the tenant accepts. It extends the existing lease to a new end date, states the rent and any changes, and keeps every other term, including the deposit already held.
Use the extension when the lease terms still work. If you are changing much more than the rent and dates, sign a new lease agreement instead.
Renewal notice rules by state
Most states set no deadline for a renewal offer; the lease controls. These rules can apply when you renew with a rent increase or decide not to renew.
| State | When it applies | Notice before the lease ends | Statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | Renewal with an increase of 5% or more, or non-renewal | 30 days (under 1 year), 60 days (1 to 2 years), 90 days (over 2 years or a lease of 2+ years) | Real Prop. Law § 226-c |
| Washington | Any rent increase | 90 days, on the RCW 59.18.720 form; cannot take effect before the term ends. Cap: 7% plus CPI or 10%, whichever is less, in 12 months; none in the first 12 months | RCW 59.18.140(3); RCW 59.18.700 |
| Virginia | Owners of more than 4 units: increase at renewal, or non-renewal | 60 days before the term ends; for increases, 90 days from July 1, 2027, with a reply deadline at least 30 days after delivery | Va. Code § 55.1-1204(K) |
| California | Increase on a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days (10% or less in 12 months); 90 days (more than 10%). Covered units: cap of 5% plus the change in the cost of living, or 10%, whichever is lower | Civ. Code § 827(b); Civ. Code § 1947.12 |
| New Jersey | Increase, or refusing to renew | Good cause needed to refuse renewal; notice to quit and notice of increase, no set day count | N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(f) |
| Florida | Any renewal | No advance-notice statute; a renewal is a new rental agreement and a carried-forward deposit is a new deposit | Fla. Stat. § 83.49(6) |
| Arizona, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas | Increase or renewal | No state statute sets advance notice; the lease controls | A.R.S. title 33, ch. 10, MCL ch. 554, N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 42, Ohio Rev. Code ch. 5321, Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92 |
From each state's official statute text, read October 29, 2026. Cities can add rules. Not legal advice.
New York: late notice keeps the old terms in place
In New York, when a landlord intends to renew "with a rent increase equal to or greater than five percent above the current rent," or not to renew at all, written notice is required: at least thirty days if the tenant has been in the unit less than a year, sixty days for one to two years, and ninety days for more than two years or a lease of two years or more (Real Prop. Law § 226-c). If the notice is late, "the occupant's lawful tenancy shall continue under the existing terms of the tenancy from the date on which the landlord gave actual written notice until the notice period has expired." Example: a 5% increase on $2,000 rent ($2,100) for a tenant there 18 months needs 60 days, so an offer delivered November 1, 2026 works for a lease ending December 31, 2026. A 4% increase ($2,080) falls outside the rule. In New York City and places that adopted the Good Cause Eviction Law, an increase above the local rent standard (5% plus regional inflation, or 10%, whichever is lower) in a calendar year is presumed unreasonable for covered units (Real Prop. Law § 216).
Virginia, Washington and California
Virginia: a landlord who owns more than four rental units must give written notice of a rent increase for the next term to a tenant with a renewal option or automatic renewal, and written notice of nonrenewal, "no less than 60 days prior to the end of the rental agreement term" (Va. Code § 55.1-1204(K)). The version effective July 1, 2027 raises the increase notice to 90 days and requires a reply deadline no sooner than 30 days after delivery.
Washington: "a landlord shall provide a minimum of 90 days' prior written notice of an increase in the amount of rent," and the increase "may not become effective prior to the completion of the term of the rental agreement" (RCW 59.18.140(3)). Send the state's RCW 59.18.720 form along with this offer. Washington also caps increases: none in the first 12 months, then no more in any 12-month period than "seven percent plus the consumer price index, or 10 percent, whichever is less" (RCW 59.18.700), unless an exemption applies. The builder warns above 7% and flags anything over 10%.
California: the 30- and 90-day rule (Civ. Code § 827(b)) covers month-to-month tenancies. For covered units, the Tenant Protection Act cap applies to every increase: no more in 12 months than "5 percent plus the percentage change in the cost of living, or 10 percent, whichever is lower" (Civ. Code § 1947.12). For a fixed-term lease, check the renewal clause. Raising the rent on a month-to-month tenant instead? Use the rent increase letter.
What to include in a lease renewal letter
- The current lease end date and the new term's start and end dates.
- The new rent, and the current rent for comparison.
- Any other changes, listed plainly; otherwise, that all terms stay the same.
- A reply-by date, and what happens if the tenant will not renew.
- Your signature and contact details. Keep a copy and note the delivery date.
In Florida, a renewal "shall be considered a new rental agreement, and any security deposit carried forward shall be considered a new security deposit" (Fla. Stat. § 83.49(6)). If the tenant decides to leave instead, the lease termination letter and the notice to vacate cover the next steps.
Renewing remotely? Here is how to e-sign a lease agreement legally.
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should a landlord send a lease renewal letter?
Most states set no deadline, so the lease controls. New York requires 30, 60 or 90 days for an increase of 5% or more or a non-renewal, Washington 90 days for any increase, and Virginia 60 days for owners of more than four units.
What is a lease extension agreement?
A short agreement both parties sign that extends the existing lease to a new end date, states the rent for the new term and any changes, and keeps every other term of the original lease.
Can a landlord raise the rent when renewing a lease?
Generally yes, with the notice your state requires, and within any cap. Washington requires 90 days on the state form and limits most increases to 7% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is less, in 12 months (RCW 59.18.700); California limits covered units to 5% plus inflation or 10%, whichever is lower (Civ. Code § 1947.12); New York requires notice by time in the unit for increases of 5% or more; New Jersey requires that the increase not be unconscionable.
What happens if a New York landlord gives late renewal notice?
The tenant's current terms continue from the date written notice was actually given until the required notice period runs out (Real Prop. Law § 226-c).