How to draft a lease renewal offer with AI, and keep control of it
Use the assistant to prepare the offer: list the leases ending soon, suggest a term and a rent for you to consider, and write the cover note. You then decide the rent, check the state rules on notice and increases, and send the offer yourself. A renewal offer changes what a tenant owes and what they sign, so the approval and the signature stay with you and the tenant.
What the AI can do and what stays with you
| Step | AI can help | You decide |
|---|---|---|
| Find leases ending soon | List them with end dates and current rent. | Which tenants to offer a renewal. |
| Pick a term | Lay out 6, 12 and 24 month options with the pros and cons. | The term. |
| Pick the rent | Show the current rent next to similar units you give it and what the increase is in dollars and percent. | The rent. |
| Check the rules | Remind you to check notice periods and caps. | Whether the offer is legal where the property is. |
| Write the note | Draft a short, friendly cover message. | The final wording. |
| Send and sign | Nothing. | Sending the offer and the tenant signing it. |
The last row matters most. A renewal changes the lease. Keep sending and signing on a screen that shows the amount and the tenant, not inside a chat.
What to give the assistant
- The unit, the current rent, the current lease end date and the property's state.
- Your goal (keep the tenant, raise rent a set amount, move to month to month).
- Your market data, if you have it: what similar units rented for recently. If you give none, the assistant has no basis for a market rent and should say so.
- Any history that matters to the decision, such as how the tenant has paid. Keep it short and leave out names, phone numbers and anything not needed.
Example a made-up unit rents for $1,200 and the lease ends in 75 days. You tell the assistant you want a 12 month renewal at $1,260. It should say that is an increase of $60 a month, or 5 percent, and total $720 more over the year. Then you check whether your state caps or requires notice for that increase before anything goes out.
A prompt that keeps the draft honest
Ask for a draft with the numbers as you gave them, nothing added. For example: "Draft a short renewal offer for unit 3B. Current rent $1,200, proposed rent $1,260, 12 month term starting the day after the current lease ends. Do not promise repairs or changes I have not listed. Do not mention any tenant's personal circumstances. List anything you assumed."
The "list anything you assumed" line catches invented terms, such as a pet allowance or a late fee grace period you never mentioned.
Rules the AI will not reliably know
- Notice periods for a rent increase or non-renewal differ by state and sometimes by city. See rent increase notice requirements.
- Some states and cities cap increases. Check the cap and its exemptions yourself with the state or city source.
- A tenant on a voucher or another subsidy may need the housing authority to approve the new rent.
- Offer the same terms to similar tenants. Different treatment tied to a protected class can break fair housing law, which the Fair Housing Act covers in rental terms and conditions.
DoorKeeping gives no legal advice. Treat the assistant's remarks on law as a prompt to look the rule up, not as the rule.
How DoorKeeping handles it
Through the DoorKeeping connector your assistant can list the leases ending soon and show where each document stands. It can also prepare a renewal draft for a lease, with a term from 1 to 24 months and a rent you choose, built from the property's state rules and starting the day after the current lease ends. It will say so plainly when it cannot, for example on a month to month lease or a tenant with no email on file. The assistant only prepares the draft. Sending the offer, and the e-signature, are your taps on doorkeeping.com, and the signing link never passes through the chat. Rent and payments stay in your own bank accounts. DoorKeeping never holds your money and sends a payment only when you approve it.
Sources
- Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604 (Cornell Legal Information Institute), read Oct 30, 2026
- DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- Can ChatGPT write a lease renewal letter?
- Yes, as a draft. Give it the exact rent, term and dates, tell it not to add terms, and read it before it goes anywhere.
- Can AI choose the right rent for a renewal?
- It can compare numbers you give it. It has no reliable local market data of its own, so you set the rent.
- Should the AI send the renewal offer?
- No. Sending changes what the tenant owes and signs, so you should send it from a screen that shows the tenant and the amount.
- Do I need to check state law before offering a higher rent?
- Yes. Notice periods and caps vary by state and city, and the assistant can be wrong about them.