Lease extension
With a lease extension, the tenancy continues beyond the originally agreed end date. You can agree on this afresh, have the continuation already set out in the contract, or, under certain conditions, the lease can renew by operation of law. Always check how long it continues and whether the rent changes.
Also known as: lease renewal, automatic lease extension, lease addendum
An addendum gives both sides clarity
The clearest approach is to confirm the new end date in writing in good time and set out anything else that is changing. If your addendum only changes the length of the lease, neither the rent nor the security deposit (the law calls it jistota) changes automatically. If the contract has a clause on automatic continuation, check when and how the extension can be declined.
That said, a missing addendum doesn’t necessarily mean the lease ends on its last day. The contract may have its own mechanism, and the law provides for another scenario as well.
When a lease can renew by law
The law covers the situation where the tenant continues to occupy the flat for at least three months after the lease was due to end. If you haven’t asked them in writing to vacate the flat during that time, the lease may renew for the same period as originally agreed – but for no more than two years. This rule doesn’t apply if you’ve agreed otherwise. Assess all the conditions together, not just whether the tenant has sent another payment. The exact wording is in § 2285 of the Civil Code.
To illustrate: if the statutory conditions are met, a one-year lease renews for another year, not straight away for an indefinite period. With an original three-year lease, the statutory renewal would be capped at two years.
Don’t rely on a tacit continuation. Until the terms are clarified, each side may see the situation differently. So write to the tenant well before the end date, set out what you’re proposing and ask for a reply.
When checking the dates with Flat Service, have both the original contract and the latest addendum to hand. Write down separately the end of the lease, the deadline for any notice under the extension clause and the planned handover date. These three dates may not be the same.
Sources checked on 13/09/2026. A general explanation does not replace a review of your specific contract or individual legal or tax advice.
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