A lease is a set of dates as much as a set of clauses: when it starts, when rent can change, when either side must give notice, when it ends. Lease management software is mostly a way never to miss one of those dates, plus a place to write, sign and store the lease itself. Here is what matters, and how to do the same with a spreadsheet. LoomLease sells no software; it offers free letters and calculators, and no app.
What lease management tools do
- Templates and clauses. A base lease, a clause library and a lease addendum for pets, parking or anything added later.
- Electronic signatures, with a record of who signed what, and when.
- Storage. One signed copy per tenancy, easy to find.
- Key dates. Lease end, renewal offer, notice deadlines and rent increase dates, with reminders.
- Renewals. Offers, new terms and signed renewals.
- Move-outs. Notices, inspections and deposit deadlines.
The dates that matter
Take a 12-month fixed-term lease in New York from August 1, 2026 to July 31, 2027, with an automatic renewal clause: it renews for another year unless the tenant gives notice at least 60 days before it ends.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Sat, Aug 1, 2026 | Lease starts; every date below goes on the calendar |
| Sun, May 2, 2027 | Earliest day for the landlord’s written reminder of the clause |
| Mon, May 17, 2027 | Latest day for that reminder |
| Tue, Jun 1, 2027 | Tenant’s deadline to give notice of non-renewal |
| Sat, Jul 31, 2027 | Lease ends, or renews for another year |
New York law makes the reminder the landlord’s job. Under General Obligations Law § 5-905, an automatic renewal clause cannot be enforced against the tenant unless the landlord gives written notice calling attention to it 15 to 30 days before the tenant’s deadline, served personally or by registered or certified mail. Other states treat these clauses differently, and some have no rule at all.
A rent change has its own clock. New York requires 30 to 90 days’ notice of an increase of 5% or more, depending on how long the tenant has lived there. A 5% increase from $1,800 to $1,890 starting August 1, 2027, sent on April 15, clears even the 90-day period. The rent increase notice checks the period for your state, and the rent increase notice table lists every state’s rule. Whatever tool you use, all of these dates should land on a calendar the day the lease is signed.
Electronic signatures: valid, with limits
The federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act says a signature, contract or record may not be denied legal effect solely because it is in electronic form. So an e-signed lease is generally as binding as a paper one. Two limits matter:
- Consent for required notices. Where a law requires information to be given to a consumer in writing, the federal act lets it go electronically only after the consumer agrees, having been told of the right to paper copies. Put that consent in the lease if you plan to email notices.
- Eviction notices are excluded. The act does not apply to notices of default or eviction, or of the right to cure, under a rental agreement for a primary residence. Those follow your state’s statute, usually on paper.
In an e-signature feature, look for a completed PDF with a signing record (names, email addresses, dates and times), a copy sent to every signer, and an export that keeps both.
Changes in the middle of a lease
Leases change before they end. A tenant adds a pet, a roommate moves in, parking is added. Each change belongs in a signed addendum that names the lease it amends, the date it starts and exactly what changes. Say the New York tenant adds a parking space on March 1, 2027, at $75 a month: the addendum is signed by both of you and filed with the lease, and the $75 goes on the ledger as a monthly charge from that date.
A good tool attaches the addendum to the lease it changes and carries any new charge into the ledger. A spreadsheet does it with one more row and a note in the status column. Either way, the rule is the same: nothing agreed by text or on the phone changes the lease until it is written down and signed.
When the tenancy ends, one more date goes on the calendar: the deadline to return the deposit, which in New York is 14 days after the tenant moves out.
Features worth paying for
- Your own lease, uploaded, or a template with a named state and a date it was last reviewed.
- Clause versions, so you know which wording each tenant signed.
- Deadlines worked out from your lease, with reminders early enough to act on, not the day before.
- A renewal workflow: the offer, a reply-by date, and a signed lease renewal or addendum.
- Rent changes that reach the ledger on the date they take effect.
- A full export: signed PDFs with signing records, and a spreadsheet of every lease’s dates.
Questions to ask
- Who wrote the template, for which state, and when was it last updated?
- Does the tool know my state’s notice periods, or do I enter them? Either way, check them against the state tables.
- Can I change a clause for one tenant without changing it for all of them?
- What happens to signed leases if I cancel?
The spreadsheet version
For a few units, one row per lease does the job. Columns: unit, tenant, start, end, rent, deposit, renewal terms, the tenant’s notice deadline, any reminder the landlord owes, the date to send a renewal offer, the notice needed before a rent change, and status. Highlight any date within 90 days, and check the sheet on the first of every month.
Pair it with the letters. When a month-to-month tenancy ends, the notice to vacate checks the notice period for your state. When rent changes, the rent increase notice sets out the old rent, the new rent and the start date. When a lease ends, the renewal offer goes out on the date in your sheet, not the week the lease runs out.
Questions people ask
Is an electronically signed lease legally binding?
Generally, yes. Federal law says a contract or signature cannot be denied legal effect just because it is electronic. Keep the signing record with the lease. The federal law does not cover eviction or right-to-cure notices for a home, so serve those as your state’s statute says.
What dates should a landlord track for each lease?
The start and end dates, the notice deadline in any automatic renewal clause, when to send a renewal offer, the notice needed before a rent increase takes effect, and the deposit return deadline after move-out. Put them all on a calendar the day the lease is signed.
Does lease software make my lease legal in my state?
No. A template is only as good as whoever last checked it against your state’s law. Ask who wrote it, for which state and when it was last updated, and compare its deposit, late fee, entry and notice terms with your state’s rules.
Written by LoomLease editors. Published September 30, 2026. Plain English, not legal, tax or financial advice: your lease, your state’s law and a professional who knows your situation decide what applies.