Fill Out Lease Renewal Agreement Online

What is a lease renewal agreement

A lease renewal agreement is a written contract between a landlord and a tenant that continues an existing tenancy beyond its original end date. It is sometimes called a lease extension agreement, and in practice the two terms are used interchangeably for residential rentals. The renewal identifies the original lease by date, states the property address, and sets out the new term, which can be another fixed period or a switch to month-to-month.

Because the renewal incorporates the original lease, it only needs to spell out what is changing. If the rent is going up, the new amount and its start date go in the renewal. If nothing else changes, the renewal simply confirms that all other terms of the original lease remain in effect for the new term.

When to use a lease renewal agreement

Use a renewal when a fixed-term lease is approaching its end date and both parties want the tenancy to continue. Signing a renewal before the current term expires avoids the uncertainty of a holdover tenancy, where the tenant stays on after the lease ends and the rules that apply can depend on state law and the wording of the old lease.

A renewal is the right tool when the parties and the property stay the same. If a new tenant is moving in, if the landlord has changed, or if the terms are changing so heavily that little of the old lease survives, a brand new residential lease agreement is usually the cleaner choice.

What to include in a lease renewal agreement

A complete renewal covers a handful of essentials. The Universal PDF template walks through each of them in order.

• Full names of the landlord and every tenant, matching the original lease.
• The date of the original lease and the address of the rental property.
• The renewal term: either fixed start and end dates or a month-to-month arrangement.
• The rent for the renewal period, whether unchanged or a new amount with its effective date.
• How the security deposit is handled, including any additional deposit.
• Any other changes to the original lease, written out in full.
• A clause confirming that all other terms of the original lease continue to apply.
• Signature and date lines for the landlord and every tenant.

How to fill out the lease renewal template

Start with the parties and the recitals: enter the date of the renewal, the landlord and tenant names exactly as they appear on the original lease, the original lease date, and the property address. Then choose the renewal structure by checking either the fixed-term box with start and end dates or the month-to-month box.

In the rent section, check whether rent stays the same or changes, and fill in the amount. Complete the security deposit section, list any other changes (or write None), and enter the state whose law governs. After downloading, both parties sign and date, and each should keep a copy alongside the original lease.

Common mistakes to avoid

The most frequent problems with lease renewals are small drafting gaps that cause big arguments later.

• Leaving the original lease date blank, which makes it unclear what contract is being renewed.
• Naming only one tenant when the original lease lists several; every tenant should sign the renewal.
• Announcing a rent change verbally but never writing the new amount and start date into the renewal.
• Signing after the old lease has already expired without addressing the gap period.
• Forgetting to attach or reference existing addenda, such as a pet addendum, that should continue.