The short answer
A good rent increase response is short, polite and specific: you want to stay, here is the rent you are proposing, here is why it is reasonable, and here is what you can offer in return. Below are a short email, a more detailed letter, three templates for particular situations and a follow-up. All of them are free to copy and adapt.
Before you write
- Know your response deadline and send well before it.
- Decide your opening number and the lowest outcome you would accept. The email only contains the first.
- Collect two or three comparable listings with addresses and rents. Our guide to rental comps explains which ones count.
- Send it to whoever issued the renewal, usually the property manager.
The short version: a five-line email
For a landlord you have an easy relationship with, or when the gap is small, this is often enough.
The detailed version: a rent increase negotiation letter
Use a fuller letter when you are writing to a management company, when the request will be forwarded for approval, or when the increase is large enough that you want the evidence laid out in full. It can be sent as an email or attached as a letter.
Subject lines
Keep it plain so it is easy to find and hard to ignore:
- Renewal for Unit 4B: proposed terms
- Question about my lease renewal, 120 Oak St #4B
- Renewing my lease: counteroffer
Template 1: The market-based counter
Use this when comparable units near you are listed below your proposed rent.
Template 2: The longer-lease offer
Use this when the market evidence is mixed but you can offer stability. Longer commitments reduce the landlord's vacancy risk, which is often worth a smaller increase to them.
Template 3: Asking for terms instead of rent
Use this after a firm no on the rent, or when you would rather keep the peace. It asks for value in another form.
The follow-up
If you have not heard back in three or four business days, send a brief nudge. It keeps the request alive and signals that you are paying attention to the deadline.
Phrases that tend to backfire
- “This increase is outrageous.” Emotional language makes the reader defensive and gives them nothing to act on.
- “I can't afford this.” True for many people, but it frames the ask as a favor rather than a market adjustment.
- “I'll move out if you don't lower it.” Only say this if you have somewhere to go and mean it.
- “Can you do anything?” Without a number, the easiest answer is no.
After you agree
Reply to confirm the agreed rent, term and any concessions in writing, and check that the renewal document you sign matches. Our guide to negotiating the full renewal has a checklist.
How CounterRent helps
The hardest parts of these templates are the bracketed numbers: what to ask for, and which listings to cite. CounterRent works those out before you send anything. If your case qualifies, it drafts the first email for you with a counter based on comparable rents near you and the listings that support it. When your landlord replies, paste their response and it drafts the next message.