# Why Rent Rises in Year Two After an Apartment Special > Renewals price from base rent. After 8 weeks free on 12 months, year two rises about 18% at the same base. See the math before you sign. URL: https://newapartmentsfortworth.com/guide/why-year-two-costs-more/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-26 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. Written by New Fort Worth Apartment Team [/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team →](/about/#new-fort-worth-apartment-team) · Updated October 26, 2026 ![Renewal letter envelope on a kitchen island in a new apartment](/images/featured/renewal-letter-envelope-on-a-kitchen-island-in-a-n.webp) ## Why does rent jump in year two? A special is a discount on year one. When the lease renews, the community prices your renewal from base rent, which is the rate printed in the lease before the special. The discount doesn’t carry forward. That’s why every special on our specials with year two shown [/fort-worth-apartment-specials/ →](/fort-worth-apartment-specials/) page has a year-two price beside it. Even if the base rent doesn’t change at all, your monthly cost rises in year two. The deeper the special, the bigger the jump. ## How big is the jump? You can figure the jump at the same base with one formula: **Jump = 1 ÷ (1 − weeks ÷ 52) − 1** | Special on 12 months | Jump at the same base, before fees | | --- | --- | | 4 weeks free | about 8% | | 6 weeks free | about 13% | | 8 weeks free (board median, Oct 25, 2026) | about 18% | | 10 weeks free | about 24% | These are before fees and before any base increase. If the base rises 3% at renewal, add that on top. ![Bar chart comparing year one and year two monthly cost after a special](/images/content/bar-chart-comparing-year-one-and-year-two-monthly-.webp) ## A dated example Here’s Domain Benbrook on Oct 25, 2026, as an illustration. Live pages use the feed. | Line | Year one | Year two, base holds | Year two, base +3% | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Rent | $1,167.69 net effective | $1,320 | $1,359.60 | | Required fees | $106 | $106 | $106 | | Monthly total | $1,273.69 | $1,426 | $1,465.60 | | Change from year one | | +12% | +15% | With fees in, the jump is a bit smaller in percentage terms, because fees don’t change with the special. It’s still $152 a month more if the base holds. > **We show year two beside every special** > > It’s the number most listings leave out, and it’s the one you’ll see in your renewal offer at month 10. ## Does this mean a big special is a bad deal? No. A deep special still saves real money in year one. It just means you should compare buildings on 24-month cost instead of on the special. A building with 10 weeks free might cost more over two years than one with 4 weeks free and a lower base. Our guide on comparing on 24-month cost [/guide/compare-new-buildings-24-month-cost/ →](/guide/compare-new-buildings-24-month-cost/) shows how. ## What does the renewal offer usually include? At month 10 or so, most communities send a renewal offer. It usually lists: - **The new rent for one or more terms,** often 12 months plus a shorter or longer option - **The deadline** to accept, tied to your notice window - **Any renewal special,** which is less common than new-lease specials - **Fee changes,** if any bulk contracts were repriced Here’s how to read it. Compare the offered rent with your current base rent, not your net effective. That’s the real change in price. Then compare the total with your year-one true monthly, so you know the change in what you’ll actually pay. | Compare | Why | | --- | --- | | Offer vs. current base | Shows the rent increase itself | | Offer plus fees vs. year-one true monthly | Shows the change in your monthly cost | | Offer plus fees vs. nearby new-lease true monthly | Shows whether moving makes sense | If the offer is close to what nearby buildings cost after their specials, staying usually costs less once moving costs are included. ## What can you do about year two? A few things help: 1. **Know the number before you sign.** Run the Special Decoder [/tools/special-decoder/ →](/tools/special-decoder/) for each building on your list. 2. **Check the lease term.** Specials tied to 14 to 16-month terms move your renewal to a different season. 3. **Start early at renewal.** We run a Renewal Check at month 10 with current comps, before the notice window closes. 4. **Compare moving with staying.** Sometimes a new special nearby, minus moving costs, beats the renewal. Our guide on your first renewal [/guide/how-to-approach-your-first-renewal/ →](/guide/how-to-approach-your-first-renewal/) walks through those options in order. ## 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 ### Why does my renewal look like a big increase? Because it's priced from base rent, so the special's discount drops away. Even if the base doesn't change, the monthly amount rises compared with your discounted year. ### How much does rent rise after 8 weeks free? About 18% at the same base on a 12-month lease, using 1 ÷ (1 − 8/52) − 1. If the base also rises, the jump is larger. ### Can I negotiate year two? Sometimes. We bring current comps from nearby buildings at month 10, and the community decides. Asking early, before the notice window closes, gives you more room. ### Is a deeper special always worse in year two? The jump is bigger, but the total can still be lower. Compare 24-month cost to see which building actually costs less. ### 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 ### 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. [How to Approach Your First Renewal at a New Building →](/guide/how-to-approach-your-first-renewal/) 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.