How Do You Change a Lease?

To change a term of your lease (rent, tenants, a subletting clause…), you generally need to draft a lease amendment signed by both parties. But some situations, like the sale of the property or a roommate leaving, don’t require one at all. Changing a lease is part of everyday long-term rental management.

Use a lease amendment

A lease amendment is a document that lets you add or change terms in your existing rental contract without redoing it entirely. Adjusting the rent, adding or removing a tenant, or allowing subletting: a lease amendment is how you formalize these kinds of changes.

Steps to draft a lease amendment

To draft a lease amendment, follow a few simple but essential steps:

• Identify the parties involved: clearly name the tenants and the landlord involved.
• Reference the original lease: give the date and details of the original lease to keep the legal chain intact.
• Describe the changes: be specific about what you want to change, whether that’s a rent change, a new tenant, or any other adjustment.
• Date and signature: both parties’ signatures are required for the document to be valid.

Change a lease easily with Unlocker

With Unlocker, you create and change your lease online, with a document reviewed in advance by our legal experts. Here’s how it works:

1. Go to your client area: log in to Unlocker and find all your rental documents.
2. Choose the lease to change: select the lease from those already in your account.
3. Make the changes you need: adjust the rent, add a tenant or change a clause directly in the interface.
4. Confirm and send: once the changes are made, send them to the other parties for e-signature.

When you don’t need a lease amendment

Some situations don’t require an amendment. If the property changes owner, the lease automatically continues with the new buyer on the same terms: the new owner just has to give the tenant their contact details, with no need to change the lease. Likewise, in a shared rental, if one roommate leaves without being replaced, the lease continues as normal with the others, and no amendment is required for that departure alone.

What to check before signing

Always make sure the amendment follows the legal rules that apply to your type of lease, and document every step. If the change involves a sensitive point (rent, term, guarantee), legal advice helps you avoid unpleasant surprises later.

Related reading

• What you need to know about rent guarantee insurance (GLI)
• What to do if the tenant breaks the terms of the lease
• Can I evict a tenant who doesn’t pay?