# Your First Apartment Renewal at a New Building: Steps > Prepare for the month-10 renewal offer: notice windows, comparing the offer with new-lease specials nearby, and your options in order. URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/how-to-approach-your-first-renewal/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 Decision guide # How to Approach Your First Renewal at a New Building Prepare for the month-10 renewal offer: notice windows, comparing the offer with new-lease specials nearby, and your options in order: renew, counter, or move. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Balcony of a new apartment at golden hour with a coffee mug and a renewal letter](/images/featured/balcony-of-a-new-apartment-at-golden-hour-with-a-c.webp) ## Why does the first renewal feel like a jump? If you moved into a new building with one of the current specials [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) on our board, your first renewal offer will likely look high. Renewals price from base rent, not the discounted year. After 8 weeks free on 12 months, year two at the same base runs about 18% above year one. Our guide on why year two costs more [/guide/why-year-two-costs-more/ →](/guide/why-year-two-costs-more/) shows the math. The jump isn’t a surprise if you plan for it. The goal at renewal is to compare your offer with what the same money buys today, including specials at nearby buildings, and decide calmly. ## When do you start? Start at month 10 of a 12-month lease. That gives you time before the notice window closes. Many Texas leases ask for 30 to 60 days’ written notice to vacate, and some renew automatically if you don’t respond. Find the renewal section in your lease and note the date. We run a Renewal Check at month 10 for renters we’ve placed. It’s a short report with your offer, current comps, and our read on the options. ## What goes into the comparison? | Line | Your renewal | A nearby new building | | --- | --- | --- | | Base rent | From your offer | From the board | | Special | Usually none | Current special, confirmed | | Net effective | Same as base if no special | After the special | | Required fees | From your current fee sheet | From their fee sheet | | Moving costs | $0 | Movers, deposits, overlap | | True monthly | Base + fees | Net effective + fees | Compare true monthly, then add moving costs to the new building’s side. If the gap is small, staying usually wins. If it’s large, moving may be worth it. ![Decision path graphic: renew, counter, move](/images/content/decision-path-graphic-with-three-options-renew-cou.webp) ## What are your options, in order? **1\. Renew as offered.** If the offer is close to nearby true monthly prices, renewing keeps things simple and avoids moving costs. **2\. Counter.** Ask the office whether they can adjust. You might ask about a lower increase, a longer term at the same rate, or a concession on renewal. Share dated comps, calmly. The community decides. **3\. Move.** If a nearby building’s true monthly, plus moving costs, is clearly lower, moving may make sense. Give written notice in the window, and line up your move-in date so you don’t pay double rent for long. > **Ask early, in writing** > > A counter sent at month 10, with dated comps, gives the office time to respond before your notice window closes. ## What should you check in the renewal offer? - **The term.** 12 months, or a different length at a different rate? - **Required fees.** Some fees are repriced at renewal. Ask for the current fee sheet. - **Any special.** Some communities offer a small renewal concession. Ask. - **The deadline.** When does the offer expire, and what happens if you don’t sign? ## A labeled renewal comparison Here’s how the comparison might look with made-up numbers, to show the steps. | Line | Renew | Move to a nearby new building | | --- | --- | --- | | Base rent | $1,380 | $1,350 | | Special | None | 6 weeks free on 12 months | | Year-one rent, monthly | $1,380 | about $1,194 | | Required fees | $106 | $110 | | Monthly total | $1,486 | about $1,304 | | Moving costs spread over 12 months | $0 | about $100 | | Effective monthly | $1,486 | about $1,404 | In this example, moving costs less in the next year, but the new building’s year two would start from its $1,350 base. Over two years, the gap narrows. That’s why we show both years before you decide. If you’d rather stay, a dated comparison like this one is a calm way to start a conversation with the office. ## What happens next? If you’d like a Renewal Check, request a Renewal Check [/contact/ →](/contact/) with your renewal offer and current fee sheet. We’ll send current comps and the true monthly comparison, usually within a few hours during our hours. ## Learn more about Fort Worth Apartment Specials We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. See the page [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ## Questions renters ask about this ### When should I start thinking about renewal? Around month 10 of a 12-month lease, before the notice window closes. Many Texas leases need 30 to 60 days' written notice. ### Can I use nearby specials to negotiate? You can share current comps from nearby buildings. The community decides, but a clear, dated comparison makes the conversation easier. ### Is moving cheaper than renewing? Sometimes. Compare the renewal's true monthly with a new building's true monthly after its special, then add moving costs and any overlap. ### What if I miss the notice window? Some leases renew automatically or switch to month-to-month at a higher rate. Read your lease's renewal section and ask the office what applies. ### Do you guarantee the price or my approval? No. The community sets both pricing and approval, and we confirm them in writing before you sign. ## Related guides Guide ### Why Year Two Costs More After a Weeks-Free Special Renewals price from base rent, not the discounted year. After 8 weeks free on 12 months, year two rises about 18% at the same base. Here's the math before you sign. [Why Year Two Costs More After a Weeks-Free Special →](/guide/why-year-two-costs-more/) Guide ### 12-Month vs. 15-Month Lease When a Special Is Offered When a special only applies to a 14 to 16-month term, compare net effective by term, where your renewal lands, and your year-two exposure. A worked example and a calculator. [12-Month vs. 15-Month Lease When a Special Is Offered →](/guide/12-month-vs-15-month-lease-special/) Guide ### Breaking a Lease That Came With a Special: Concession Repayment in Texas Leaving early after free rent? What a Texas concession addendum may ask you to repay, how early-exit and reletting fees stack on top, the separate military right, and how to weigh breaking against waiting. [Breaking a Lease That Came With a Special: Concession Repayment in Texas →](/guide/breaking-a-lease-with-a-special-texas/) Guide ### Getting the Special in Writing: Concession Addenda and Ledger Checks The steps to lock in an advertised special: the concession addendum, end-date checks before you sign, and day-7 and day-30 ledger checks if the credit is missing. [Getting the Special in Writing: Concession Addenda and Ledger Checks →](/guide/getting-the-special-in-writing/) ## Where to use this ![Printed move-in special flyer beside a calculator and lease folder](/images/content/printed-apartment-move-in-special-flyer-beside-a-c.webp) Find ### Fort Worth Apartment Specials Confirmed move-in specials at new buildings, each with base and year two beside it. Open [Fort Worth Apartment Specials →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) ![Aerial view of new apartment communities across the Fort Worth side](/images/content/aerial-view-of-new-apartment-communities-spread-ac.webp) Find ### New Build Board A map and cards for every new community in scope, with the whole price on each card. Open [New Build Board →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![New apartment community in lease-up with a few furnished balconies](/images/content/new-apartment-community-in-lease-up-with-a-few-fur.webp) Find ### Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, with stage, fill curve, and what's actually finished. Open [Lease-Up Apartments →](/lease-up-apartments-fort-worth/) Free to you · Your rent is the same either way ## Get the whole price before you tour Tell us your move date, budget, and where you need to be. We'll make the calls, collect the fee sheets, and do the math for every building that fits. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) What happens next: We'll text you within minutes during our hours, then send a same-day shortlist. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.