Lease renewal email templates you can copy
A good renewal email is short, names the new rent and term, gives a reply date and says what happens if the tenant does not answer. Below are four templates, for the same rent, a rent increase, a month-to-month option and a reminder. Fill in the brackets, check your state's notice rule for any rent change, and send.
Four rules before you copy a template
A template saves time, but a renewal email still has to be right for your lease and your state. Check these four things first.
- Put the numbers in the email, not in an attachment only. Tenants decide faster when the new rent and dates are in the first lines.
- Give the reply date as a calendar date, such as November 15, not "soon" or "in two weeks".
- Repeat what your current lease says happens if the tenant stays without answering. Do not invent a different outcome in the email.
- If the rent goes up, make sure the email also meets your state's written notice rule for a rent change. Some states require a longer notice or a particular delivery method.
For the full list of what a renewal offer contains, see what to put in a renewal offer letter. For when to send it, see the lease renewal timeline.
Template 1: renew at the same rent
Use this when you want the tenant to stay and the rent is not changing. It is the easiest email to answer, so it should be the shortest.
Subject: Renewing your lease at [address]
Hi [first name], your lease at [address] ends on [end date]. I would like you to stay. I am offering a new [number] month term from [new start date] to [new end date] at the same rent of $[amount] a month. Everything else in the lease stays the same. To accept, reply to this email or sign the renewal here: [link]. Please answer by [reply date]. If I do not hear from you, [what your lease says, for example: the lease continues month to month on its current terms]. Thank you for being a good tenant. [your name]
Template 2: renew with a rent increase
Say the increase plainly. A tenant who finds it in the fourth paragraph feels tricked, and a tenant who sees the number and the reason up top usually answers calmly, even if the answer is no.
Subject: Your renewal offer for [address]
Hi [first name], your lease at [address] ends on [end date], and I would like you to stay. For a new [number] month term from [new start date] to [new end date], the rent would be $[new amount] a month, up from $[current amount]. That is an increase of $[difference] a month, and it starts on [effective date]. [One honest reason, for example: property taxes and insurance went up this year.] All other terms stay the same. To accept, reply here or sign the renewal: [link]. Please answer by [reply date] so I know whether to plan for the unit to be open. [your name]
Example a made-up tenant pays $1,400 a month. A $50 increase makes the new rent $1,450, which is $600 more over twelve months. Writing both numbers and the monthly difference lets the tenant do the math in a few seconds.
If the increase must follow a state notice period, send this email at least that many days before the effective date. In Washington, RCW 59.18.140 calls for 90 days of written notice of a rent increase, and ORS 90.323 in Oregon also calls for 90 days. Other states differ; see how much notice a rent increase needs.
Template 3: offer a choice between a lease and month to month
Some tenants cannot commit for a year. Offering both lets them choose and keeps you in control of the numbers. A month-to-month option usually carries a higher rent because you give up the certainty of a fixed term; see month to month or a one year lease for how to price the difference.
Subject: Two ways to stay at [address]
Hi [first name], your lease ends on [end date]. You have two options. Option A: a [number] month lease at $[amount] a month. Option B: month to month at $[higher amount] a month, which either of us can end with [notice period required by your lease and state] written notice. Please tell me which you prefer by [reply date]. If I do not hear from you, [what your lease says]. [your name]
Template 4: the reminder
Send one reminder a few days before the reply date and keep it in the same email thread, so the whole history reads in order.
Subject: Reminder: renewal answer due [reply date]
Hi [first name], a quick reminder that I need your answer on the renewal for [address] by [reply date]. The offer is below. If you plan to move out instead, please tell me so I can schedule the move-out walkthrough. [your name]
After the reply date passes with no answer, do not treat it as a yes unless your lease says so. Send a short, dated follow-up stating what happens next under the lease, and keep a copy.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping drafts these emails for you from the lease on file. Ask Claude or ChatGPT, for example: "Draft a renewal offer for every lease ending in the next 90 days at the same rent." The tenant name, address, dates and rent fill in from the lease, and nothing is sent until you approve it. Renewal offers are e-signed like leases, and the sent email and the signed copy are filed with the property.
Sources
- RCW 59.18.140, Rent increase notice, Washington Legislature, read Oct 30, 2026
- ORS 90.323, Rent increase notice, Oregon statutes, read Oct 30, 2026
Questions
- What should a lease renewal email say?
- The unit address, the new term dates, the monthly rent, any change in terms, a reply date, how to accept and what happens if the tenant does not answer.
- Can I send a renewal offer by email?
- Often yes, but some states and some leases require a particular delivery method for notices, especially rent increases. Check your lease and your state before you rely on email alone.
- How long should a tenant have to reply?
- Long enough to think and short enough that you can still market the unit if the answer is no. Many landlords allow one to two weeks and send a reminder partway through.