Rent Increase Letter
Time to raise the rent? A rent increase letter does it the right way: the new amount, the date it starts, and the notice your state requires. Free in all 50 states.
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A rent increase letter is the written notice a landlord gives to raise a tenant's rent. It states the new amount and the date it takes effect, after the advance notice your state requires. You use it on a month-to-month tenancy or at renewal, not in the middle of a fixed term.
Key takeaways for landlords
- It is a notice, not a negotiation: the tenant pays the new rent or gives notice to leave.
- Timing is set by law: every state fixes how much notice you must give.
- Not mid-term: you cannot raise a fixed-term rent until the term ends.
- A few states cap the increase: California, Oregon, and Washington limit the amount.
- Put it in writing: keep a dated copy and proof you delivered it.
How to write a rent increase letter
The whole job, start to done.
- 1
Date it and name the tenant
Put the date at the top, name each tenant as on the lease, and add the property address and unit.
- 2
State the old rent and the new rent
Show the current rent and the new amount together, so there is no confusion about the change.
- 3
Set the effective date with enough notice
Count forward from today by at least your state's required notice, which the table below lists. On a fixed-term lease, wait until the term ends.
- 4
Check any cap and frequency limit
If your state caps the increase or limits it to once a year, confirm your number fits before you send.
- 5
Explain how to pay the new amount
Say where and when the new rent is due, so the first payment at the higher rate is not missed.
- 6
Sign, keep a copy, and deliver with proof
Sign it, save a dated copy, and deliver it in a way you can document.
Rent increase letter
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Most popularWhat if it's not that simple?
The situations that actually trip people up.
Can I raise the rent in the middle of a fixed-term lease?
No, not unless the lease allows it. A fixed-term rent is locked until renewal, barring an escalation clause or a signed amendment.
Can I raise the rent right after the tenant complained?
Be careful here. An increase that lands soon after a repair request, a code complaint, or a tenant organizing can be presumed retaliatory. Many states apply that presumption. It can void the increase or hand the tenant a defense if you later try to evict. Wait out the protected window, apply the increase across similar units, and keep a record of why the number changed.
What if the tenant won't sign anything. Is my increase still valid?
Yes. The increase is a notice, not a contract. The tenant either pays the new rent or moves out.
What if my state caps rent increases. What actually counts toward the cap?
The cap limits the total increase over a rolling 12-month period, not each separate bump, so two smaller raises can still breach it together. The ceiling is usually a fixed percentage plus a CPI figure that changes each year. Where the statute says so, you use the lower of the two. New construction within a set age, and in some states single-family homes owned by non-corporate landlords, are often exempt. Put the cap-compliant number in the letter, because anything above it is unenforceable.
What if the tenant keeps paying the old rent after the increase. Now what?
Treat the shortfall as unpaid rent and send a late rent notice for the difference, then the statutory pay-or-quit notice if it stays unpaid. But first check your own notice was valid. If you gave too few days, the increase never took effect and the old rent still stands.
How a rent increase letter works
A rent increase letter is how you raise the rent the right way. It tells the tenant the new amount and the date it starts, after the notice your state requires. On a month-to-month tenancy you can raise rent with proper notice. On a fixed term, such as a standard lease, you cannot, not until the term ends.
This is a notice, not an agreement. The tenant does not sign a rent increase letter. Once you give proper notice, the tenant either pays the new rent or gives notice to move out. That is what separates it from a signed change to the lease.
Two situations call for a signed document instead. To change the rent during a fixed term, you need the tenant to agree, usually with a rent increase or decrease amendment you both sign. To change rent together with other terms, use a broader lease amendment. The letter is for a straightforward increase on a periodic tenancy.
Notice is the part landlords get wrong. Every state sets a minimum, often 30 days, but several require 60 or 90. A few add a longer period for a large increase. California needs 90 days once the jump passes 10 percent. The state table below shows each rule. Give too little notice and the increase simply does not take effect.
A handful of states also cap the increase itself. California, Oregon, and Washington limit how much you can raise rent in a year. A few places limit how often, and Colorado allows one increase every 12 months. Check the table before you pick a number, because an increase over the cap is unenforceable.
At the end of a fixed term, a rent increase is really a renewal offer. You can present the new rent with a lease renewal, and the tenant decides whether to re-sign. If they stay on without a new lease, the tenancy usually rolls to month-to-month, where the periodic-notice rule governs your next increase.
Keep the increase clean. Raising rent right after a tenant complains, requests a repair, or joins a tenant group can look like retaliation, which many states bar. Apply increases consistently, give a little more notice than the minimum, and keep the tone matter-of-fact. A reasonable increase, well documented, rarely becomes a fight.
If the tenant stays but keeps paying the old amount, the shortfall is unpaid rent. Send a late rent notice for the difference, and escalate to the statutory pay-or-quit notice only if it stays unpaid. First confirm your notice was valid, because a defective notice means the old rent still applies.
What a rent increase letter includes
· The date and parties: you and the tenant, by name.
· The property: the full address and unit.
· The old rent and the new rent: stated side by side.
· The effective date: the day the new rent begins.
· The notice you are giving: enough to meet your state's rule.
· How to pay: where and when the new amount is due.
· Your signature: with your name and contact details.
Rent increase notice and caps by state
Two things decide whether your increase sticks: how much notice you give, and whether your state caps the amount. Both are set by statute. "No cap" means no statewide statutory limit on the amount. Local rent control can still apply, for example in some cities in California, Oregon, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Minnesota, and Maine.
| State | Notice before an increase | Rent cap or limit | Governing statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | Ala. Code § 35-9A-441 |
| Alaska | 30 days | No cap | AS § 34.03.290(b) |
| Arizona | 30 days | No cap | A.R.S. § 33-1375(B) |
| Arkansas | About 30 days (by lease) | No cap | Ark. Code § 18-17-704 |
| California | 30 days; 90 if increase over 10% | 5% + CPI, max 10%/yr (AB 1482) | Cal. Civ. Code §§ 827, 1947.12 |
| Colorado | 60 days | One increase per 12 months | C.R.S. §§ 38-12-701, 702 |
| Connecticut | No statutory notice (fair-rent review) | No cap | Conn. Gen. Stat. § 7-148b |
| Delaware | 60 days | No cap | 25 Del. C. § 5107 |
| Florida | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | Fla. Stat. § 83.57(3) |
| Georgia | No statutory notice | No cap | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-7 |
| Hawaii | 45 days | No cap | HRS § 521-21(d) |
| Idaho | 30 days | No cap | Idaho Code § 55-307(3) |
| Illinois | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | 735 ILCS 5/9-207 |
| Indiana | 30 days (one month) | No cap | Ind. Code § 32-31-1-1 |
| Iowa | 30 days | No cap | Iowa Code § 562A.13(5) |
| Kansas | 30 days | No cap | K.S.A. § 58-2570 |
| Kentucky | 30 days (URLTA counties) | No cap | KRS § 383.695 |
| Louisiana | No statutory notice | No cap | La. Civ. Code art. 2728 |
| Maine | 45 days | No statewide cap | 14 M.R.S. § 6015 |
| Maryland | By locality or lease | No statewide cap | Md. Real Prop. (local) |
| Massachusetts | 30 days (one rental period) | No cap | M.G.L. c. 186, § 12 |
| Michigan | 30 days (one rental period) | No cap | MCL § 554.134 |
| Minnesota | One rental period | No statewide cap | Minn. Stat. § 504B.135 |
| Mississippi | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | Miss. Code § 89-8-19 |
| Missouri | 30 days (one month) | No cap | RSMo § 441.060 |
| Montana | 30 days | No cap | Mont. Code § 70-24-441(2) |
| Nebraska | 30 days | No cap | Neb. Rev. Stat. § 76-1437(2) |
| Nevada | 60 days (30 if period under 1 month) | No cap | NRS § 118A.300 |
| New Hampshire | 30 days | No cap | RSA 540:2, 540:3 |
| New Jersey | 30 days (one rental period) | Must not be unconscionable | N.J.S.A. § 2A:18-61.1(f) |
| New Mexico | 30 days | No cap | NMSA § 47-8-15(F) |
| New York | 30 to 90 days by tenure (increase 5%+) | No statewide cap | N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c |
| North Carolina | No statutory notice | No cap | N.C.G.S. § 42-14 |
| North Dakota | 30 days | No cap | N.D.C.C. § 47-16-07 |
| Ohio | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | ORC § 5321.17 |
| Oklahoma | 30 days | No cap | 41 O.S. § 111 |
| Oregon | 90 days; none in first year | Lesser of 10% or 7% + CPI (2026 max 9.5%) | ORS §§ 90.323, 90.324 |
| Pennsylvania | By lease | No cap | 68 P.S. § 250.501 |
| Rhode Island | 60 days; 120 if tenant is 62+ | No cap | R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-16.1 |
| South Carolina | 30 days | No cap | S.C. Code § 27-40-770 |
| South Dakota | 30 days (one month) | No cap | SDCL § 43-32-13 |
| Tennessee | 30 days (URLTA counties) | No cap | Tenn. Code § 66-28-512 |
| Texas | By lease | No cap | Tex. Prop. Code ch. 92 |
| Utah | No statutory notice | No cap | Utah Code § 78B-6-802 |
| Vermont | 60 days | No cap | 9 V.S.A. § 4455 |
| Virginia | 30 days (month-to-month) | No cap | Va. Code § 55.1-1253 |
| Washington | 90 days; none in first year | Lesser of 7% + CPI or 10% (HB 1217) | RCW § 59.18.140 |
| West Virginia | One month | No cap | W. Va. Code § 37-6-5 |
| Wisconsin | 28 days | No cap | Wis. Stat. § 704.19 |
| Wyoming | By agreement (about 30 days) | No cap | Wyo. Stat. § 1-21-1203 |
| Washington DC | 60 days | CPI + 2%, max 10% (rent-stabilized) | D.C. Code §§ 42-3509.04, 42-3502.08 |
Rent increase letter FAQ
How much notice do I have to give?+
Is there a limit on how much I can raise the rent?+
Does the tenant have to agree to the increase?+
Can I send it by email or text?+
How often can I raise the rent?+
Do I need a reason for the increase?+
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