Renewing or ending a lease at the end of its term

Key rules

• Tenant notice: You must give the landlord at least 2 months' notice if you do not want to continue.
• Landlord notice: The landlord must notify you at least 4 months before the end if they will not renew.
• Automatic renewal: With no notice, the lease renews yearly for up to 3 further years on the same terms.
• Proof: Send notice by burofax and keep the text and delivery proof.

The short answer

If nobody gives notice, your lease renews by itself. If you want out, you must tell the landlord at least 2 months before the end date. If a landlord wants to end the lease, they must tell you at least 4 months before.

This applies to main-residence leases. It does not cover holiday or seasonal lets.

When the notice clock starts

The notice dates count back from the end of the minimum term. That term is 5 years, or 7 if the landlord is a company. The same dates apply again before each yearly renewal.

Find the end date in your contract, or the end of your current yearly period. Then count back 2 months (tenant) or 4 months (landlord). Put that date in your calendar.

If you are the tenant

Give written notice at least 2 months before the end of the term or of any yearly renewal. Without it, the lease renews for another year.

Notice is only needed to stop a renewal. If you want to stay, you do nothing.

If you are the landlord

You must notify the tenant at least 4 months before the end that you will not renew. If you miss that date, the lease renews for a year.

What happens if nobody gives notice

The lease renews for one year at a time, for up to 3 further years. It is the same contract. Rent and other terms continue as they were. The only change is the yearly rent update your contract allows, or any change both sides agree.

Rent updates may be limited by an index cap or, in some areas, a regional rent cap. Read your contract for any clause that applies on renewal.

How to send notice

The law does not demand a set form, but you must be able to prove you sent it and that it arrived. The safest way is a burofax with certified text and acknowledgment of receipt. A notarial notice also works.

Email or WhatsApp may be accepted if you can show the other side received it, but they are risky if there is a dispute. Send notice well before the deadline, not on the last day. Keep a copy of the text and the delivery proof.

Next steps

Use the calendar tool, timeline and checklist below to fix your dates. If you are unsure whether a regional cap applies, ask your town hall.

Choosing between options

Do you let the lease renew or give notice to end it?

• Let the lease renew: You want to stay (or the landlord wants to keep you). Do nothing by the deadline and the same contract continues for one more year, with only the annual rent update.

• Give notice as a tenant: You want to leave at the end of the term. Notify the landlord at least 2 months before the end of the contract or annual renewal.

• Landlord gives notice: The landlord does not want to renew. They must notify you at least 4 months before the end of the contract or annual renewal.

If neither side gives notice in time, the lease renews each year for up to 3 further years on the same rent and terms, apart from the annual update.

Timeline and deadlines

• The minimum term ends: 5 years, or 7 if the landlord is a company: at the end of the minimum term

• Send your notice by burofax so you can prove it: well before the deadline

• If nobody gives notice, the lease renews for one year on the same terms: automatically at the end of the term

• The same notice dates apply again before each further yearly renewal: each year, for up to 3 further years

Lease calendar for notice and renewal dates

How to map your dates

Your lease has one start date, and every other date follows from it. Work through the steps below with a calendar.

1. Find your start date. This is the contract date, or the day you actually received the keys if that is later. Check that the contract states the start date. If it doesn't, ask the landlord to put it in writing.

2. Find the end of the minimum term. The minimum term is 5 years, or 7 if the landlord is a company. It ends on the day before the 5th (or 7th) anniversary of your start date.

3. Add the yearly extensions. If neither side gives notice in time, the lease extends year by year, for up to 3 extra years. Each extension ends on the next anniversary of the start date.

4. Count back to your notice deadlines. For each end date, count back from that date:

• The landlord: at least 4 months before the end, if they don't want to renew.

Count whole months from date to date, then move your own deadline a few days earlier. How to count the last day is debated, so the margin keeps you safe. Send your notice in a way that proves the date.

5. Mark the rent update dates. Rent can be updated on each anniversary of the contract date, once a year.

6. Mark your early exit date, if you need it. After 6 months you can leave early by giving 30 days' notice.

Example

Contract and keys on 1 March 2026, with a private individual as landlord:

For each extension, count back 30 days (you) or 4 months (landlord) from its end date in the same way.

What to watch for

• A late notice does not end the lease. It simply extends for another year.
• Notice dates only matter once the minimum term has run or an extension is running, so mark the ones that apply to your lease.
• If your contract was signed before the current rules, or your landlord's status (individual or company) is unclear, check which term applies before you fix your dates.

Checklist

• Find the end date of your contract or current annual renewal and count back 2 months (tenant) or 4 months (landlord).

• Write your notice and send it by burofax with certified text and acknowledgment of receipt, or by notarial notice.

• Put the deadline in your calendar with a reminder a few weeks ahead, so the notice is ready early.

• Once sent, file the burofax receipt and the notice text together.

• Avoid relying on email or WhatsApp alone, unless you can prove the other side received it.

• Check the contract's renewal terms against what you plan to do before you write the notice.

• Ask your town hall whether a regional rent cap applies if you plan to let the lease renew.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if I miss the notice deadline?

The lease renews for another year on the same contract. This can repeat for up to 3 further years after the minimum term. Once that period is used up, the lease ends only if you still give notice.

Can I give notice by email or WhatsApp?

It can be accepted if you can prove the other side received it, but it is risky evidence. If the other side later denies receiving it, you may struggle to show the notice was valid. A burofax is the safer route.

Does my rent change when the lease renews?

The rent and other terms stay the same, apart from the annual update. Since 2025, that update follows the official rent update index published each year. A regional rent cap may also apply in your area.

Does this apply to holiday or seasonal lets?

No. These renewal rules cover leases of a main residence (vivienda habitual). Tourist and seasonal lets are not covered.

Can I leave before the end of the term instead?

Yes, after 6 months you can leave early with 30 days' notice. That is a separate right from the end-of-term notice. Use it if the term has not ended yet.