Tenancy tenant non renewal of lease sample letter

When a lease ends, you have the right to decide whether or not you want to renew the lease with the tenant. Some states and cities may put restrictions on how you make this decision, but it is generally up to you to determine if renewing the lease, signing a new lease agreement, or switching over to a month-to-month tenancy is the best choice.

Whether or not you decide to extend the lease, you need to know about lease renewal letters and how to use them.

These documents are used to communicate your plans to your tenant to ensure that both parties are equally informed, and they must be sent out with enough notice.

A Table Of Contents For Lease Renewal Letter

  • What Is A Lease Renewal Notice Period?
  • The Basics Of Lease Renewal Letters
    • What To Include In A Lease Renewal Notice
  • How Many Days For Non Renewal Of Lease?
    • Lease Renewal Notice Period By State
  • When Do I Need To Send A Renewal Lease Letter To My Tenants?
  • Can A Landlord Not Renew A Lease For No Reason?
  • Template: Tenant Non Renewal Of Lease Sample Letter (+PDF)
    • Landlord Notice Of Nonrenewal To Tenants
    • Lease Non-Renewal Letter To Landlord
    • Lease Renewal Notice To Tenant
    • Lease Renewal Letter (PDF)
  • FAQs About Lease Renewal Letters
  • What Are Other Landlords Saying About Giving Notice When Ending A One-Year Lease?
  • Basic Steps To Remember When Sending Lease Renewal Notices

What Is A Lease Renewal Notice Period?

Tenancy tenant non renewal of lease sample letter
Tenancy tenant non renewal of lease sample letter
A lease renewal notice period is the timeframe before the end of the lease that a landlord or tenant must inform the other party if they are not going to renew the lease.

This lease renewal notice period should be spelled out in the lease but, in most instances, will be dictated by state law. Individual states have different guidelines on what must be put in a lease renewal notice, how long you have to send said notice, and who can receive a notice.

If you do not send out the lease renewal notice in the appropriate time frame, you may have to start over and send it again for it to be legally applicable. This will slow down your rental business, so it is important that you sent out non-renewal notices promptly.

The Basics Of Lease Renewal Notices

While you might be aware that you need to send out a lease renewal letter to your tenants in some cases, you might not be aware of what should go into those notices! We have some samples at the end of today’s article that will be very helpful for you, but it’s important that you also understand what should go into the notice.

What to include in a lease renewal notice:

  • Date the letter is sent
  • Property address and tenant names
  • Whether or not the lease will be renewed
  • How to contact the landlord or property manager with questions

Based on whether or not the lease will be renewed, there is some additional information that should be given to the tenant at this time:

  • If the lease will not be renewed, confirm when the tenant must leave by
  • If a new lease will be signed, confirm the terms of the updated lease and set up a meeting to discuss and sign the new lease
  • If the lease will be allowed to expire and convert into a month-to-month rental, explain what that means to the tenant

As you can see, the exact information that needs to be given is going to differ depending on the situation. Let’s help you get some more information about renewing leases, and then we’ll share our sample notice letters.

How much notice for non-renewal of lease?

This duration period should be addressed in the lease. If it is not, you should refer to your state laws.

These notifications are mostly for landlords but can double as the rule for timelines for tenants as well.

As a rule of thumb, a 60-day notice is a good standard regardless of what your state laws say.

Lease Renewal Notice Period By State

Here’s a list of every US state and how much notice a landlord must give if not renewing a lease (as of September, 2021):

This duration period should be addressed in the lease. If it is not, you should refer to your state laws.

These notifications are mostly for landlords, but can double as the rule for timelines for tenants as well.

As a rule of thumb, a 60-day notice is a good standard regardless of what your state laws say.

Alabama

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No statute

Month To Month: 30 days

Alaska

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice

Month To Month: 30 days

Arizona

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice

Month To Month: 30 days

Arkansas

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice

Month To Month: 30 days

California

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: If the tenant has lived at the property for a year or more- 60 days notice. If the tenant has been there less than a year the landlord only needs to give 30 days notice

Month To Month: 30 days

Colorado

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 1 year or longer- 91 days; 6 months to 1 year- 21 days; one week but less than a month- 3 days

Month To Month: 21 Days

Connecticut

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 3 Days

Month To Month: N/A

Delaware

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 60 Days

Month To Month: Minimum of 60 days’ written notice, which 60-day period shall begin on the first day of the month following the day of actual notice.

Florida

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Not less than 60 days

Month To Month: N/A

Georgia

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 60 days for the landlord- 30 days from tenant

Month To Month: N/A

Hawaii

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Termination is automatic and no notice is required

Month To Month: Termination is automatic and no notice is required

Idaho

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice is required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Illinois

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 60 Days

Month To Month: 30 Days

Indiana

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Iowa

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Kansas

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Kentucky

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No statute

Month To Month: 30 Days

Louisiana

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Maine

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Maryland

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 90 Days

Month To Month: 30 Days

Massachusetts

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: The longer of 30 Days or 1 month

Michigan

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 1 month prior to a payment date

Minnesota

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Some definite term leases spell out what kind of notice is needed to end the tenancy when the lease ends. Typically this is a written notice presented 30 to 60 days before the lease ends

Month To Month: If there is no provision in the lease stating how much advance notice must be given to end the tenancy, the law provides that written notice must be received by the other party at least one full rental period before the last day of the tenancy.

Mississippi

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No Notice required- lease with no end date 2 months notice

Month To Month: 30 Days

Missouri

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: N/A

Montana

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No stature no notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 Days

Nebraska

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 days prior to the periodic rental date specified in the notice

Nevada

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to a payment date

New Hampshire

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 30 Days

Month To Month: 30 Days

New Jersey

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: one full month before the end of the lease

Month To Month: Written one-month notice

New Mexico

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: N/A

Month To Month: 30 Days

New York

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Notice is not required if the tenant is moving out of the unit when the agreement expires.

Month To Month: 30 Days

North Carolina

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required for fixed-term lease- Year to year requires one month notice

Month To Month: At least 7 days prior to a payment date

North Dakota

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Fixed-term lease, notice is not required for a tenant who plans to end their tenancy when the lease expires. Year to year- one-month notice (tenant not renewing)

Month To Month: One month notice

Ohio

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Oklahoma

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Oregon

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to a payment date

Pennsylvania

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: At least 15 Days; More than a year-long lease requires 30 days

Month To Month: At least 15 days prior to a payment date

Rhode Island

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to a payment date

South Carolina

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to a payment date

South Dakota

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to a payment date

Tennessee

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 30 days prior to the start of the next rental month

Texas

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: At least 30 Days prior to the end of a fixed-term lease

Month To Month: At least 30 days from the next payment date

Utah

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 15 days prior to a payment date

Vermont

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least one payment period prior to the termination date specified in the notice.

Virginia

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: 90 Days

Month To Month: At least 30 Days from the next payment date

Washington

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: At least 20 Days written notice

Washington D.C.

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required

Month To Month: 30 Days

West Virginia

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required, year to year with no end date- 90 days required

Month To Month: 30 Days

Wisconsin

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: Varies largely depending on the situation; here is a link with details

Month To Month: N/A

Wyoming

Yearly/Fixed Term Lease: No notice required – no statute

Month To Month: No statute

Double check your state laws by visiting the state’s website.

When do I need to send a renewal lease letter to my tenants?

Tenancy tenant non renewal of lease sample letter
Tenancy tenant non renewal of lease sample letter

There are certain steps a landlord must take to notify the tenants of the non-renewal. Most states require the landlord to give some kind of written notice to the tenant. The lease renewal notice period is usually 30 to 60 days, depending on the state. At that time, landlords need to mail (we suggest paying for certified mail) or hand-deliver a letter that states the tenant’s lease will come to an end on a given date.

In that letter, the landlord typically does not have to provide a reason for the non-renewal of the lease. The landlord may decide they simply want to find a new tenant. Many state laws protect landlords in this way, allowing them to terminate a lease without needing a reason whenever the expiration of a lease happens.

However, some states (such as California) do require that the landlord have a just cause for terminating the lease. This means that non-renewal can only happen in specific cases. In all other cases, the lease automatically turns into a month-to-month tenancy once expired.

If the tenant fails to vacate the rental property by the time the rental lease agreement is up, landlords will go ahead with that tenant’s eviction.

Can a landlord not renew a lease for no reason?

In most states, a landlord does not have to provide a reason for why they are choosing to not renew a lease. In the same breath, a tenant also does not have to provide a reason for nonrenewal.

A lease is a contract with a start and end date; as long as that contract is completed, no reasoning for non-renewal is needed.

For more information on how to write a rental non renewal letter, check out this video:

Template: Tenant Non-Renewal Of Lease Sample Letter (+PDF)

In this section, we’ll go over our sample lease renewal letter. These templates can easily be used to communicate with your tenants about the renewal of a lease, and there is also an example letter that your tenants can use as well.

Each of these templates should be adapted to fit your particular situation more accurately.

Landlord Notice Of Nonrenewal To Tenants

Here’s a sample notice you can provide your tenant if you do not plan to renew the lease and expect the tenant to move out by the end of the tenancy period.

(Landlord Name)

(Your address)

(Date)

Dear (Tenant’s name), 

This letter is to inform you that I do not intend to renew your lease. As per the laws of the State of (insert state), this is your (insert number of days) notice of non-renewal. 

As of the (one day after their lease expires), all possessions should be removed from the premise and keys in the possession of the landlord.

I can be reached at (phone number and address) if you have any questions between now and the end of your lease that ends on (insert lease end date).

Sincerely,

(Landlord/Property Manager’s Name)

Lease Non-Renewal Letter To Landlord

Here’s a sample notice your tenants can provide to you to inform you that they will not be renewing your lease.

(Tenant Name)

(Your address)

(Date)

Dear (Landlord’s name), 

This letter is to inform you that I do not intend to renew my lease. As per the laws of the State of (insert state), this is my (insert number of days) notice of non-renewal stating that I will be leaving my apartment on (date), which is the end of my current lease.

I expect that my security deposit of ($__) will be returned in full as the apartment will be left in broom-swept condition.

I can be reached at (phone number and address) if you have any questions between now and the end of my lease that ends on (insert lease end date).

Sincerely,

(Tenant’s Name)

Lease Renewal Notice To Tenant

Use the following notice sample to let your tenant know you would like to sign a new lease with them and what the renewal term will be.

(Your Name)

(Your address)

(Date notice is being sent)

Dear (Tenant’s name), 

This letter is your official notice that your current lease expires on (lease expiration date). You have been a great tenant and we would like to enter into a new lease of (insert lease length).

Attached to this notice you will find a copy of the new lease for your records. All of the original terms of the lease remain the same with the exception of (insert any changes such as dates or rent amount).

Your security deposit (and any other deposits such as pet deposits) will remain intact and carry over into the new lease term.

If you decide to renew the lease, please call us at (insert phone number) so we can go over and sign the new lease together. This must be done by (insert date of your choice before the end of the current lease).

If you decide to move on from this apartment, please give us an (insert number of days based on your state’s law) day notice of non-renewal. 

Sincerely,

(Landlord signature)

(Landlord printed name)

Lease Renewal Letter (PDF)

For those that do not wish to copy, paste and customize the above, landlords can also download our lease renewal letter pdf here to customize for your rental property.

FAQs About Lease Renewal Letters

Landlords everywhere always have questions on how to write a letter not renewing a lease. Below are some of the most commonly asked questions about lease renewals.

What Happens If Landlords Don’t Give Notice At The End Of A One-Year Lease?

If you do not give the written notice that the lease will not be renewed, a one-year lease will transition into a month-to-month lease agreement. The tenant will continue to pay rent monthly until one of the parties decides to end the lease.

This means that either the landlord or the tenant can end the rental lease agreement with a 30-day written notice. In most states, neither party needs to give a reason for the termination after this time.

If the landlord wants to end the lease, but the tenants do not, it’s important to communicate with each other. Landlords should explain the process and cite state law as they will likely be more familiar with the process than the tenants.

Under no circumstances should landlords accept rent or agree to any new leasing terms beyond the original lease term if they want the tenants to vacate. The court will interpret either of these actions as being a default extension for the original lease as one that is now month-to-month.

Can An Apartment Refuse To Renew A Lease?

In most states, it is up to the property owner and manager to determine whether or not they want to extend their lease agreement with a tenant. If they do not want to continue to rent to that tenant for some reason, it is within their rights to do so. However, it’s important to note the state & local laws on how to write a letter to an apartment about not renewing lease.

There are a few states that require a “just cause” reason for lease termination. In California, for example, leases must be renewed unless the landlord plans to stop renting the property for a legitimate reason such as renovation.

As with all rental laws, it is important to make sure you find out if your state or city has any ordinances with this type of lease renewal agreement restrictions. Ordinances that affect landlords vary widely between locations, so you want to make sure you’re knowledgeable about those that affect you.

If you are considering not renewing a lease with your tenant, be sure to communicate this with them within the required amount of time.

What Is The Difference Between A Lease Renewal And Lease Extension?

A lease renewal is when a completely new lease agreement will be signed between the tenant and the landlord. This lease agreement may have the same terms as the original lease agreement, or it may include updated terms that are agreed upon by both parties.

A lease extension is when the original lease is extended to cover an additional period. This can be done through an addendum that is signed by both parties; in this case, the original lease terms would apply exactly as they were.

A lease extension can also automatically occur when a tenancy continues past the original tenancy dates. In this case, the one-year lease agreement automatically converts into a month-to-month tenancy. While most of the original lease terms will apply, some rules about required notice periods may change to reflect that the rental is now a month-to-month tenancy.

How Long Can A Tenant Stay Without A Lease Renewal?

A lease renewal is not required for a tenant to be able to continue living in a property. Most state rental laws recommend that expired lease agreements automatically convert into month-to-month tenancies with the same rules as the original lease.

This means that a tenant can continue to stay in a property, without signing a new lease agreement, for as long as it is amenable to both parties. Fixed-term leases and month-to-month tenancies have many of the same rules and regulations, but there may be some important differences in the amount of time required to send out various rental notices to your tenant.

Once the tenant wants to move out or the landlord wants the tenant to move on, the required notice will need to be sent to the other party.

Determine State & Local Laws

Landlords need to comply with the laws of their state when it comes to giving notice of lease termination when ending a one-year lease. They need to communicate their intentions and try to give the tenant enough notice so they can vacate.

The state laws try to be fair to both parties. Because both the tenant and the landlord are bound by the contract that is the lease agreement, they are both beholden to it. If there are any complications regarding giving notice when ending a one-year lease, landlords should consult with a landlord/tenant attorney.

What Are Other Landlords Saying About Giving Notice When Ending A One-Year Lease?

Every landlord needs to protect themselves and their rental business. There are many real-life examples of how landlords are dealing with ending lease agreements in the RentPrep Facebook group.

See what other landlords say about renewing long leases by checking out our private Facebook group for Landlords.

Basic Steps To Remember When Sending Lease Renewal Notices

It is up to you to determine if it is time to end a lease, sign a new lease, or continue into a month-to-month tenancy with your tenant. Only you are familiar with the property and the tenant; only you can make that call.

Regardless of what decision you make, you must be sure to act with knowledge and confidence:

  • Send out any non-renewal notices with enough time for the tenant to vacate the property
  • Send out renewal notices with the details of the new lease with enough time to sign the new lease before the old one expires
  • Send out information about any month-to-month tenancy requirements on time as well

The key point to remember any time that you need to communicate with your tenant is that you are required by law to give tenants enough time to deal with your decision. It is within your rights to make decisions about your property, but those decisions affect your tenants’ lives as well. For that reason, paying attention to the required timeframe should be at the top of your priority list.

How do you write non renewal?

The following information should be included on a lease non renewal letter:.
Date of the lease non-renewal letter..
Name of tenant and property address..
Name of landlord and business address..
Ending date of the lease..
Reason for not renewing the lease (may be optional in some states)..

How do you say you don't want to renew lease?

Dear (Landlord/Tenant), I'm writing to inform you that I will not be renewing our lease. As noted in my contract, the unit will be vacant as of (lease end date). This note should serve as my (length appropriate) notice of non-renewal.

How do I notify my landlord of not renewing my lease in Ontario?

You must provide the landlord with your notice no later than 30 days after the landlord gives you the standard lease. In either case, you must provide the landlord with a written notice to terminate the tenancy at least 60 days before the last day of a rental period.

How do I tell a tenant is not renewing a lease in Florida?

A Florida Notice of Non-Renewal (residential tenancy) can be drafted by either the Landlord (Owner, Manager, Agent) or the Tenant. The Florida Notice of Non-Renewal gives the other party to the Lease notice that at the end of the Lease term, the party providing the notice will not be renewing for another year.