A Florida lease renewal form extends your existing landlord-tenant agreement past its original end date by restating the parties, the property, the new term dates, and the rent, while confirming that the rest of the original lease stays in effect. To be valid, it must be signed by the landlord and every tenant named on the original lease, and if the renewal period runs longer than one year, Florida’s Statute of Frauds requires it to be in writing.
What to Put on the Form
A renewal is shorter than a full lease because it incorporates the original agreement by reference instead of restating every clause. Pull these fields straight from the lease you already have:
- The full legal names of every tenant and of the landlord or property management company, spelled exactly as they appear on the current lease.
- The complete property address, including any unit, apartment, or building number.
- The start and end dates of the current lease term.
- The start date of the renewal period (usually the day after the current lease ends) and the new end date.
- The monthly rent for the renewal term, whether it is the same or different.
- Any modified terms, such as a revised pet policy, parking arrangement, or late-fee provision. If nothing else changes, a single sentence saying all other terms of the original lease remain in effect is enough.
Check every name, date, and dollar figure against the original lease before anyone signs. A misspelled tenant name or a wrong unit number can cause real problems if the agreement is ever disputed. Always include a clause stating that all terms of the original lease survive except as specifically modified, so no one can argue later about which provisions carry forward.
Addendum, Renewal, or a Brand-New Lease
People use “renewal” and “extension” interchangeably, but they are different instruments. An extension is usually a short addendum that pushes out the end date and notes small changes like a rent bump; the original lease stays in force as the governing document. A renewal can create a new agreement that replaces the old one, which lets both sides renegotiate any term.
If you only need to move the end date and adjust rent, an extension addendum is simpler. If you are changing several provisions, use a full renewal or write a new lease so everything lives in one document. Both approaches are legally valid in Florida, and both need signatures from all parties.
When to Send the Renewal
If your current lease has a fixed end date, that date controls when it expires. Sending renewal paperwork at least 60 days before expiration gives both sides time to negotiate and sign without a scramble.
For tenancies without a specific remaining term, Florida Statutes § 83.57 sets minimum notice periods for ending the arrangement, and these matter because a missed window keeps the tenancy running on the same periodic basis:1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 83.57 – Termination of Tenancy Without Specific Term
- Year-to-year: at least 60 days before the end of the annual period.
- Quarter-to-quarter: at least 30 days before the end of the quarterly period.
- Month-to-month: at least 30 days before the end of the monthly period.
Changing the Rent or Security Deposit
Renewal is the natural moment to adjust financial terms. Florida does not cap how much a landlord can raise rent at renewal for most residential properties, and no state statute requires a specific number of days’ notice before proposing a higher figure in a renewal offer. State the new amount clearly on the form; the tenant’s signature is their agreement to it.
A security deposit does not automatically go up when rent does. If the landlord wants a larger deposit, the renewal form must spell out the new amount and the tenant must agree. Florida law does not impose a blanket statutory cap on deposit amounts. What § 83.49 regulates is how the landlord holds and accounts for the money.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 83.49 – Deposit Money or Advance Rent, Duty of Landlord and Tenant Landlords who rent five or more dwelling units must provide written notice within 30 days of receiving any deposit, disclosing where the money is held, how it is held, and whether interest will be paid. When a renewal changes the deposit, a new written disclosure is good practice even if the holding method is unchanged.
When the Renewal Must Be in Writing
Florida’s Statute of Frauds requires any lease lasting longer than one year to be in writing and signed by the party being held to it. This applies to renewals. A verbal agreement to extend a lease for another two years is not enforceable in a Florida court.3The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 725.01 – Promise to Pay Another’s Debt, Etc.
Renewals of a year or less are not strictly required to be in writing, but putting them on paper anyway creates a clear record of the new end date, the rent, and any modified terms and heads off disputes later.
Signing the Form
Every tenant named on the original lease and the landlord or an authorized agent must sign. If one tenant’s signature is missing, the renewal may not bind that person to the new term.
Electronic signatures are valid in Florida under the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act at § 668.50, which provides that a signature or contract cannot be denied legal effect solely because it is electronic, as long as both sides have agreed to transact that way.4The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 668.50 – Uniform Electronic Transactions Act Platforms like DocuSign or HelloSign satisfy this requirement and produce a timestamped audit trail showing when each person signed.
If you prefer paper, send the signed form by certified mail with return receipt requested so there is proof of delivery. Either way, both sides should keep a complete copy of the executed renewal alongside the original lease.
What Happens If Nobody Signs
When a lease with a fixed end date expires and the tenant stays with the landlord’s permission but no renewal is signed, the tenancy does not simply vanish. Under § 83.575, a tenant who remains on the premises with the landlord’s permission after the lease terminates and fails to provide the notice required under § 83.57 is liable to the landlord for an additional month’s rent.5The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 83.575 – Termination of Tenancy With Specific Duration Accepting rent from a holdover tenant typically turns the arrangement into a month-to-month tenancy under the original lease terms, which either party can then end with 30 days’ notice.1The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 83.57 – Termination of Tenancy Without Specific Term If you want a guaranteed term with a locked-in rent, signing an actual renewal before the current lease expires is the only reliable way to get one.
Where to Find a Template
The Florida Bar publishes Florida Supreme Court-approved landlord-tenant forms on its website, though those are primarily full residential lease forms and eviction forms rather than standalone renewal templates.6The Florida Bar. Landlord Tenant Forms For a basic renewal, a one-page addendum referencing the original lease, stating the new term dates and any changed terms, and providing signature lines for all parties is enough. Legal document services and property management software also offer Florida-specific renewal forms. Whatever template you pick, confirm it includes signature lines for every tenant, a reference to the original lease by date, and a clause stating that unmodified terms survive.
If the renewal involves bigger changes, like adding or removing a tenant, moving to a different unit in the same complex, or restructuring the payment schedule, drafting a new lease is cleaner than layering amendments on the old one.
Fair Housing Limits on Renewal Terms
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the terms, conditions, or privileges of a rental, and that reaches renewal decisions. A landlord cannot refuse to renew or offer less favorable renewal terms based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), familial status, national origin, or disability. A renewal that gives families with children a shorter term, or raises rent only for tenants of a particular background, violates federal law.
Disability-related accommodation requests can also come up at renewal. If a tenant with a disability asks for a modified lease term as a reasonable accommodation, the landlord must engage in a good-faith discussion about the request. An accommodation can only be denied if it would impose an undue financial or administrative burden or fundamentally alter the landlord’s operations, and the tenant is not obligated to accept an alternative that does not effectively address their needs.