How Do Landlords Renew a Lease?
Before it ends, not after - and how to handle a rent increase along the way.
Direct answer: Renewing a lease means agreeing new terms with a tenant before their current lease ends - usually the same rent, or a new (often higher) amount - and updating the lease record to reflect the new start and end dates. It should happen before the old lease actually expires, not after, so there's never a gap where the tenant's status is unclear. Software that tracks lease-expiry dates can prompt this at the right time and update the rent amount and dates in one step, rather than treating it as a brand-new tenancy.
When to Start the Renewal Conversation
Around 30 days before a lease ends is the natural point to raise it - enough time for the tenant to actually decide (and arrange the money if the rent is changing) without it feeling last-minute. Waiting until the lease has nearly or already expired puts both sides in an awkward spot: the tenant doesn't know if they're staying, and the landlord doesn't know whether to plan for a vacancy.
Renewing at a Higher Rent
A rent increase at renewal is normal and expected in most markets, but how it's communicated matters. Give the new figure with enough lead time for the tenant to decide, reference what's changed if anything did (market rates, property improvements), and be prepared for a conversation rather than presenting it as non-negotiable if you want to keep a tenant you'd rather not lose. Whatever the outcome, the new amount needs to be reflected in the lease record going forward - not just remembered verbally.
What Changes on Renewal
A renewal isn't a new tenant, but it does mean new dates and, often, a new rent figure - the same underlying lease relationship continuing on updated terms. The rent history from before the renewal is still worth keeping, both for your own records and in case the previous rate is ever referenced later.
What If the Tenant Doesn't Want to Renew
Sometimes the answer is simply no, and that's a normal outcome, not a problem to solve. Confirm the actual move-out date in writing, settle the deposit according to your agreement's terms, and start planning for the vacancy - listing the unit, screening a new tenant - as early as the notice allows rather than waiting until the old tenant has actually left. A lease ending on schedule with a clean handover is the easy version of this; it only becomes difficult when the end date and the actual move-out drift apart, which is exactly what a written notice period is meant to prevent.
How Domby Helps
When a lease shows as expiring or expired, a Renew Lease action is available directly from the tenant's card - it pre-fills the current rent amount and the next payment period, and you can update either before confirming. Renewing this way updates the lease's start and end dates and rent amount together, in one step, rather than you having to edit each field separately or start a new tenant record from scratch. It's available to every landlord regardless of plan for a lease within the Free plan's tenant limit; leases past that limit need Pro to renew.
FAQ
Renewing a lease means a landlord and tenant agree to continue the tenancy past its current end date, usually at the same rent or a new (often higher) one, with the lease record updated to show the new start and end dates. It's a continuation of the existing tenancy, not a brand-new one, and should be agreed before the old lease actually ends.
There's no universal number, but 30 days is a reasonable minimum in practice - enough time for the tenant to plan, even where your specific lease or local tenancy law doesn't set a stricter requirement.
It's good practice to document the new terms in writing even for a simple renewal, though it doesn't need to be a full new agreement from scratch - a short addendum covering the new rent and dates is often enough.
That's a negotiation, not something software resolves - some landlords hold rent flat for a good tenant rather than risk a vacancy; others don't. Either way, settle it before the old lease actually ends.
Yes - a renewal doesn't have to match the original term length. Some landlords prefer shorter renewal terms for a tenant they're still getting comfortable with, and longer ones for a tenant they'd like to keep without revisiting the conversation again soon.
Related guides
See how landlords track lease start and end dates so a renewal is never a last-minute scramble, and how to increase rent in Nigeria if the renewal comes with a new figure, and how landlords end a lease agreement for when the answer is no instead of yes. See also how landlords create a tenancy agreement for the paperwork a renewal needs, and the free tenancy agreement template. Browse all landlord guides.
Renew a lease and update the rent in one step. Create a free account and add your first property in minutes.