The highest advertised rent is not always the best renewal decision. Compare the net expected outcome, timing, and resident experience of each proposal. Keep the math visible so the owner can challenge assumptions rather than approve a vague recommendation.
Put the offers side by side
For each option, record the monthly rent, term, concessions, work or upgrades promised, renewal date, owner approval, resident response deadline, and the proposed effective date. Add a third scenario for non-renewal: expected vacancy days, turnover work, marketing cost, and plausible replacement rent. These are estimates, not guaranteed results.
A small example
Offer A is $1,500 for 12 months, or $18,000 scheduled gross rent. Offer B is $1,550 for 12 months, or $18,600 scheduled gross rent. The $600 difference can disappear if pursuing B causes more than a small vacancy or extra turnover cost. But a property with strong demand and little work may justify B. Show the assumptions and sensitivity range rather than pretending one number predicts the future.
Before sending either offer
- Check the current signed lease and applicable notice rules; do not invent a deadline.
- Review maintenance complaints and unresolved resident requests.
- Confirm the owner has approved the exact terms and any concession.
- Send one clear written proposal and keep the resident's response attached to the property record.
Account for a free-rent concession without hiding it
A 12-month lease at $1,500 per month has $18,000 of scheduled gross rent. If one full month is waived, the simple total becomes $16,500, or $1,375 per month when spread evenly for comparison. That effective figure is not necessarily the amount billed each month. Record which period receives the credit, the owner's approval, the lease or addendum wording, and the actual ledger entry. Download the concession tracking worksheet (CSV) to keep the offer and posting separate.
Compare proposals on the same term and define whether the concession applies only after a condition is met. Once signed, confirm the credit posts once, not zero or twice. An approved concession should not appear as unpaid rent in the owner report. Ask a qualified accountant how it should be recognized in financial statements; this example is a commercial comparison, not accounting advice.
Record the decision so a future manager can understand it
Attach the approved offer, assumptions about vacancy and turnover, resident reply, final signed terms, and the date the team updated the rent roll and reminder schedule. A higher renewal price may be sensible, but it should be a visible decision, not an unexplained change in the system. If the resident declines, stop the renewal sequence and open the vacancy and turnover workflow with a named owner.
Use the renewal calendar to control timing and the turnover-cost analysis for a deeper comparison. JHA can make the dates and documents visible; the owner and manager still make the commercial decision.
Editorial note, October 2026: Examples omit taxes and other costs and are not a rent recommendation. Check local notice, pricing, and fair-housing rules.