Free Rent Increase Notice Generator.
Choose your state and enter the rental details below. Your notice and state guidance update as you type. Review the letter, then copy it or download a PDF. No signup required.
1. Enter rental details
Choose the property's state. The notice updates automatically as you edit.
2. Review and download
Your live notice appears below. Check the details, then copy it or download a PDF.
How to write a rent increase letter
A rent increase letter is a written notice that tells a tenant their rent is going up, by how much, and when. It is the most common landlord letter after the lease itself, and getting it wrong — too little notice, a missing effective date, a vague amount — is the easiest way to turn a routine change into a dispute. A good notice is short, specific, and delivered early.
Every rent increase letter should include the same handful of facts: the tenant's name and the property address, the current rent, the new rent, the exact date the new amount takes effect, a line confirming that everything else in the lease stays the same, and your name, signature, and contact information. The generator above fills in each of these, calculates the dollar and percentage increase, and dates the letter for you.
How much notice to give
The notice period is the part landlords most often get wrong. For a month-to-month tenancy, the general rule in most states is written notice of at least 30 days or one full rental period before the new rent starts. A growing number of states require more: 60 days in Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, and Vermont; 75 days in Maine; 90 days in Oregon and Washington; and California and New York scale the period up for larger increases or longer tenancies. Cities such as Seattle and Chicago add their own, longer windows.
The safest habit is to give more notice than the minimum and to make the new rent effective on the first day of a rental period. The generator defaults the effective date to the first of the month after the notice window closes, and warns you if you move it earlier than your state's window allows.
How to deliver the notice
- Use the delivery method your lease specifies — hand delivery, first-class mail, or certified mail are the most common.
- Count the notice period from the day the tenant receives it, not the day you write it. Add a few days if you mail it.
- Keep a dated copy. If you hand-deliver, note the date and time; if you mail, keep the receipt.
- Follow up with a friendly email or text so there are no surprises on the first day of the new rent.
- Update the amount in whatever you use to collect rent so the first payment at the new rate is correct.
Raise the rent once. Collect it automatically every month.
Sending the notice is the easy part. The awkward part is the first month at the new rate, when a tenant on Zelle or a paper check sends the old amount out of habit and you have to chase the difference.
TenantHub lets you change the rent amount once, and every reminder, invoice, and Autopay charge after that uses the new number. Tenants get an automatic reminder before the due date, a payment link, and a receipt when it clears — so the increase just happens.
- Update the rent once — reminders and Autopay follow
- Automatic rent reminders via text and email
- Tenants can set up Autopay from any reminder
- Automatic receipts and a running ledger for every payment
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice do I have to give for a rent increase?
For a month-to-month tenancy, most states require written notice of at least 30 days or one full rental period. Several states require more — 60 days in Colorado, Delaware, Nevada, and Vermont; 90 days in Oregon and Washington; and California and New York use longer periods for larger increases or longer tenancies. Pick your state above and the generator applies a conservative default and warns you if the effective date is too soon.
Can I raise rent during a fixed-term lease?
Generally no. During a 12-month (or other fixed-term) lease the rent is locked in unless the lease itself contains a clause allowing a mid-term increase. Rent can be raised when the lease renews, or after it converts to month-to-month, with proper notice.
Is there a limit on how much I can raise rent?
Most states have no cap on market-rate housing, but several do: California, Oregon, and Washington have statewide caps tied to inflation, and cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Newark, St. Paul, and Washington, D.C. have rent-stabilization rules. Even without a cap, an increase must not be retaliatory or discriminatory.
Does a rent increase notice have to be in writing?
Yes — nearly every state requires written notice, and a written letter protects you if the tenant disputes the change later. Deliver it the way your lease specifies (hand delivery, mail, or certified mail are the most common) and keep a copy with the delivery date.
What should a rent increase letter include?
The tenant's name, the property address, the current rent, the new rent, the date the new rent takes effect, a statement that all other lease terms are unchanged, the date of the notice, and your name and contact information. The generator fills in all of these and calculates the dollar and percentage increase for you.
What if the tenant refuses the increase?
A tenant on a month-to-month tenancy can choose to move out rather than pay the new rent, as long as they give their own required notice. If they stay and keep paying after the effective date, the new rent generally applies. If they stay but pay the old amount, treat it as a partial payment and follow your lease's late-payment process.
Stop chasing the new rent amount.
TenantHub tracks rent, sends reminders, and creates receipts automatically. Free to use — pay only up to $6.99 when rent is successfully collected.