New York Lease Renewal Agreement

New York lease renewal guide

Choose the right renewal process

Start with the property's legal status

This packet is for a mutual renewal involving the same home and parties, for a term of up to one year. It does not replace prescribed rent-stabilized forms, subsidy-program documents, or a negotiated replacement lease. Before entering dates or rent, collect the existing lease, riders, rent history, ownership information and municipality. A building's address or age alone is not a complete coverage determination. Treat missing records as something to resolve before asking tenants to sign.

Rent stabilization: use HCR's renewal forms

Rent-stabilized tenants generally choose a one- or two-year renewal on the existing terms. HCR describes a 90-150-day offer window in New York City; outside NYC, the owner signs and dates the notice and sends it by certified mail 90-120 days before expiration. The tenant generally has 60 days to respond. Applicable Rent Guidelines Board orders, riders and regulated-rent rules govern the calculation. This general agreement is not a substitute for that process. Electronic lease offers also require the tenant's voluntary consent using HCR's prescribed process. Official source

Good Cause coverage is a separate question

Good Cause applies in NYC and municipalities that opt in, subject to statutory exemptions. Examples include qualifying small landlords, owner-occupied properties with no more than ten units, certain regulated or income-restricted housing, condominiums/cooperatives, and qualifying newer buildings. The newer-building exemption runs for 30 years after a certificate of occupancy issued on or after January 1, 2009. Exemption analysis can require ownership and beneficial-ownership records, not merely the number of units in this building. Check the actual exemption before marking the disclosure. Official source

Keep the disclosure with the agreement

Complete the Good Cause applicability notice and give it to the tenant with the renewal as required. Record whether the unit is covered or which exemption applies. The blank New York PDF includes the notice as a separate section. Official source

Rent changes and local differences

Separate the notice trigger from the permissible rent

A proposed increase of exactly 5% triggers RPL 226-c notice requirements, just as a larger increase does. That threshold is not permission to increase by 5%, and it is not the Good Cause rent standard. Calculate (new rent minus current rent) divided by current rent. For example, $2,000 to $2,100 is 5%; $2,000 to $2,080 is 4%. Smaller increases can still be restricted by rent regulation, the lease or other applicable rules. Official source

Good Cause: a rebuttable standard, not an automatic allowance

For covered homes, increases above the applicable local rent standard are presumptively unreasonable. A court can consider relevant evidence, including property taxes and qualifying costs; simply writing a higher amount into a renewal does not establish that it is justified. Covered tenants also cannot be removed merely because a lease expired. RPL 216 contains the grounds and procedures for removal. Get case-specific advice before relying on an above-standard increase or refusing renewal. Official source

Read the correct annual and municipal information

HCR publishes the annual Good Cause figures. Its August 2026 notice lists opt-ins reported as of May 4, 2026: examples include Albany (345% FMR; small landlord no more than one statewide unit), Kingston (300%; one unit), Rochester (245%; one unit) and White Plains (345%; four units). These are exemption thresholds, not allowed rent-increase percentages. The list's reporting cutoff means later local changes require checking. The city and town of Poughkeepsie are distinct jurisdictions. Match the actual municipality, county and unit size; do not use a nearby city's threshold. Official source

Practical worksheet before an offer

Keep four separate entries: current rent; proposed rent and percentage change; the notice deadline; and the legal basis for that rent. Save the applicable official annual publication and local rule with the calculation. If the home is regulated, use that system's calculation rather than substituting the Good Cause standard. If coverage or an exemption is unresolved, pause the offer and resolve the classification instead of selecting an exemption to make the form easier to complete.

Plan notices before signing

The 30-, 60- and 90-day notice framework

RPL 226-c requires advance written notice for nonrenewal or an increase of at least 5%. The applicable tier depends on the longer of cumulative occupancy and lease term. A tenant with a one-year lease generally falls in the 60-day tier even early in occupancy; a two-year lease falls in the 90-day tier. Check the statute's precise conditions and boundary dates. Late notice can extend the existing terms until the notice period runs out. Include the required coverage notice. Signing this agreement does not cure a missed notice. Official source

Automatic renewal clauses have their own reminder rule

GOL 5-905 addresses clauses that renew for an additional period unless the tenant gives notice of leaving. To make such a clause operative, the landlord must give a written reminder 15-30 days before the tenant's contractual notice deadline, personally or by registered or certified mail. This is a reminder about the clause, not a substitute for other statutory notices. Example: if the tenant's opt-out deadline is June 1, count the reminder window backward from June 1, not from the lease's later expiration date. Official source

Do not confuse a renewal offer with a termination notice

For Good Cause cases involving refusal of reasonable renewal changes, RPL 216(1)(j) specifies a 30-90-day written-notice window before lease expiration. That requirement needs to be reconciled with other applicable notice rules, not treated as an alternative to them. A disputed refusal to sign is not permission for a lockout. Seek legal review before treating silence, a counteroffer or a disputed rent increase as grounds for removal. Official source

Build a documented timeline

Record the current expiration date, occupancy start, proposed start, applicable notice period and delivery evidence. Do not backdate a notice or signature to make a deadline appear satisfied. If the dates do not fit, revise the proposed effective date and evaluate the interim tenancy rather than forcing the original dates into the form. Retain the actual notice, its attachments and delivery record separately from the signed renewal.

Deposits, signatures and records

Record the deposit already held

This agreement carries forward the existing deposit and does not create a new deposit charge. For ordinary non-rent-stabilized homes within GOL 7-108, the general limit is one month's rent, with statutory exceptions for particular arrangements. Do not collect a second deposit just because a renewal is signed. Reconcile the ledger, any lawful deductions and the amount actually held before filling the deposit field. Regulated housing has its own requirements; use the appropriate rules rather than assuming this paragraph covers it. Official source

When the tenancy eventually ends

For covered non-rent-stabilized tenancies, GOL 7-108 provides inspection rights and a 14-day deadline after vacancy for the itemized accounting and remaining deposit. Requested pre-vacate inspections generally occur one to two weeks before the end, with at least 48 hours' written notice. Ordinary wear is not a damage deduction; missing the 14-day requirement forfeits the right to retain the deposit. A renewal is not a move-out: keep the original condition records rather than resetting them. Official source

One person, one signature row

Write each tenant's full legal name on their own row, then have that person sign and date the same row. Leave unused rows blank. The owner or authorized agent uses the separate owner row. Confirm an agent's authority and avoid extending a guarantor obligation through an unexplained signature. If a tenant is leaving, a new tenant is joining, or the property changes, arrange the necessary separate agreement instead of crossing names out without documenting everyone's obligations.

Assemble a usable final packet

Check dates, address, rent, recurring charges and signatures against the original lease. Give each party a copy of the signed renewal and all applicable notices and disclosures. Keep the original lease, the completed notices and evidence of delivery with your records.

Arizona lease renewal guide

Use this agreement when the landlord and the existing tenants agree to extend the same residential lease for a new fixed term. Read the lease and all signed addenda together before filling in the renewal.

Set the dates and rent

Check the existing lease for an expiration date, a renewal option, and any deadline for giving notice. If the current term ends December 31 and the parties want uninterrupted occupancy, the new term normally begins January 1. Write the exact end date, the renewed rent, and when the new rent starts. If a rent change falls mid-month, agree on how the partial month will be calculated. A.R.S. § 33-1314(A) and (C)

What happens after the old term expires?

Check whether the existing lease already provides for renewal or continuation. Arizona generally treats a rental agreement with no definite term as month to month, with an exception for a roomer paying weekly rent. The holdover statute points to that rule when the landlord consents in writing to continued occupancy after expiration. If there is a dispute about consent or possession, resolve that before using a mutual renewal form. A.R.S. § 33-1314(D) and § 33-1375(C)

Count notice time from the rental date

To end an existing month-to-month tenancy, give written notice at least 30 days before the periodic rental date named in the notice. For example, if rent is due on the first and the notice specifies June 1, notice must be received by May 2. For registered or certified mail, Arizona uses the earlier of actual receipt and five days after mailing. Keep the notice and delivery record together. A fixed-term renewal offer may follow a different deadline under the existing lease. A.R.S. § 33-1375(B) and § 33-1313(B)

Record the deposit already held

Compare the deposit in the renewal with the original receipt and payment records. State law generally caps security a landlord demands, including prepaid rent, at one and a half months’ rent. The statute allows a tenant to pay more rent voluntarily in advance. Record any agreed change separately so both parties can tell what is already held and what is newly due. A fee or deposit is refundable unless its nonrefundable purpose is stated in writing as required by the statute. A.R.S. § 33-1321(A) and (B)

Review changes to rules, services, and contact details

If parking, utilities, or another service will change, identify exactly what changes and when. A rule adopted during a tenancy generally requires 30 days’ notice and cannot substantially modify the rental agreement under the rulemaking provision. Review the original lease before treating a change in an agreed service as a house rule. Keep the management and notice contacts current and check the renewal for prohibited waivers of tenant rights. A.R.S. § 33-1342, § 33-1322, and § 33-1315

Sign and save the complete agreement

Have each named signer review the same terms before signing. Give each party the signed agreement and keep it with the original lease, amendments, and any related notices. Check the housing type before relying on this form. Arizona excludes certain arrangements from its residential landlord and tenant chapter, and subsidized housing may also have program-specific renewal requirements. A.R.S. § 33-1308