A lease renewal checklist: from saved details to signed copy

Renewing a lease is easier when the existing tenancy, the proposed terms and the signing process are checked together. This checklist follows the renewal workflow in Albo, from checking the saved details to finding the completed copy in both portals.

The examples below are fictional. They explain the process without using a tenant’s saved records.

1. Check the original tenancy records

Open the current tenancy and confirm the property address, tenant names, original lease start date, current expiry and previous monthly rent. Check your company’s registration details, contacts and banking information too.

The renewal form pulls these original details from the system and displays them as read-only. Correct missing or inaccurate tenant information through Edit tenancy, or company information through Company details, before preparing the renewal. Close and reopen the form to load the saved changes. Keep the original lease available while checking the records.

2. Complete both joint tenants’ details

For a new joint renewal, record both tenants’ full names and ID or registration numbers. A shared email does not remove this requirement: both named parties still need their own recorded details.

Albo shows which details are missing and prevents preparation or sending until they are complete. Do not use “N/A” or another placeholder for a required identity field. Also check whether the tenancy uses separate logins or one shared login; these arrangements affect how acceptance is recorded.

3. Enter the agreed new dates and rent

Enter the renewal start and end dates as day/month/year, then the agreed new monthly rent. The renewal period is calculated from those dates. Check any agreed changes to charges, utilities, parking, escalation or special conditions.

For example, a fictional renewal could run from 01/12/2026 to 30/11/2027 at R8 900 per month. Check the actual agreement rather than copying the example. The proposed dates must follow the current lease and must not overlap another tenancy for the same property.

4. Review the PDF before signing and sending

Select Prepare renewal PDF and open the complete document. Check the original details, new terms, banking information and contact details, including any additional conditions.

Confirm the landlord representative’s name, capacity and place of signing. Review the consent statements and enter your own administrator password. Choosing Sign and send to tenants records the landlord’s signature and queues the invitation; there is no second landlord signing step.

The reviewed renewal is retained for signing. If its terms need changing after sending, cancel that pending request and prepare a corrected renewal.

5. Follow the correct tenant acceptance route

With separate logins, each named tenant normally reviews the renewal and confirms their own signature with their own password.

With one shared login, the person signing enters their own recorded full name and explicitly confirms authority to accept for both named tenants. The record identifies one actual signer and one password confirmation acting for both.

For a specific pending renewal, an administrator can also choose Allow one tenant to accept for both before any tenant signs. This keeps both separate accounts intact. After the administrator’s review, confirmation and password check, acceptance for both takes place through the primary account. The person signing must identify themselves using their own recorded name and confirm their authority. It is not recorded as two independent tenant password confirmations.

6. Follow up without losing the sending status

Albo schedules renewal follow-ups every two South African calendar days for eligible pending renewals, after the recipient’s initial message has been successfully sent. Separate recipients use their own initial sending date.

Follow-ups stop when the signed copy is received, online signing is complete or the renewal is cancelled. Check Email outbox if an invitation or reminder has failed or is waiting to send. “Queued” describes the sending process; it does not confirm delivery or that the tenant has read the email.

7. Check the completed renewal and account

Once the required online acceptance is complete, Albo applies the renewal’s saved dates and new rent automatically. The completed PDF includes the renewal details and signing record and is saved in both the tenant and administrator portals under Documents & notices → Leases.

The completed request leaves the pending signing view. Open the document and check the updated tenancy rather than creating another extension for the same renewal.

8. Handle a signed copy returned by email

If tenants return a signed PDF, open the pending request and choose Accept signed renewal. Upload the complete copy, including all three renewal pages and any annexures, within the 20-page and 2 MB limits. Open the uploaded file and review every page.

Confirm that all required parties signed and that the terms match the pending request. Your administrator password confirms acceptance. Albo saves that exact PDF in both portals and applies the requested dates and rent. It records an accepted offline copy, without inventing online tenant signatures. A tenant upload alone records receipt for review and does not update the tenancy.

Online signing is for renewals. For a first lease, use your own agreement or download the blank new lease from the leases section.

Explore the tenant portal and document features, try the fictional interactive demo, or register your free portfolio. For the initial setup, see how to set up your branded tenant portal.