The Renter's Ledger

Renew your lease or move?

Compare cumulative modeled cost, moving friction, starting cash, and whole-month crossover points over a period you choose.

Takes about seven minutesNo signupYour numbers stay on this device

Lease renewal vs moving worksheet

Compare cumulative modeled cost from your next lease decision date. The selected horizon normalizes entered amounts; it does not forecast future prices.

Evaluation period

Comparison horizon in monthsA whole number from 1 to 36 that cannot exceed the shorter entered lease term.

Renew current home

New monthly renewal rent$Required recurring rent under the renewal offer.Renewal lease termWhole months from 1 to 36.

Recurring renewal costsParking, utilities, commute, and other monthly housing costs

Monthly parking$Optional recurring cost.Monthly utilities$Optional recurring estimate.Monthly commute cost$Optional cost, not commute time.Other recurring monthly housing cost$Optional recurring cost.

One-time costs and creditNonrefundable renewal charges and immediately applied credit

One-time renewal fee$Optional nonrefundable cost.Other one-time renewal cost$Optional nonrefundable cost.Renewal concession or credit$Modeled as immediately applied; it cannot reduce starting cash below zero.

Move to another home

New apartment monthly rent$Required recurring rent under the new lease.New lease termWhole months from 1 to 36.

Recurring costsParking, utilities, commute, and other monthly housing costs

One-time nonrefundable moving costsApplication, setup, moving, and move-in charges

Application fee$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Administrative fee$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Moving cost$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Utility setup or transfer fees$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Other move-in fee$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Other one-time moving cost$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.Nonrefundable pet fee$Optional one-time nonrefundable cost.

Concessions and creditsFree initial months and immediately applied dollar credits

Full free-rent monthsApplied to initial lease months; cannot exceed the new lease term.Fixed-dollar rent credit$Modeled as immediately applied.Other move-in credit$Modeled as immediately applied.

Refundable cash requirementsIncluded in starting cash, never in modeled nonrefundable cost

Security deposit$Refundable cash held by the property.Refundable pet deposit$Refundable cash held by the property.Other refundable deposit$Refundable cash held by the property.

Transition costsHousing overlap, temporary lodging, and storage

Include overlapping housingEnable when both homes create cost during the transition.Temporary lodging cost$Optional one-time transition cost.Storage cost$Optional one-time transition cost.

One decision date

The comparison starts with your next lease choice.

Renewal and moving costs accumulate from the same starting point. The horizon is limited to the shorter entered lease term so the worksheet never invents rent after a lease expires.

Moving friction counts once

Transition and upfront costs stay visible.

Application, setup, moving, overlap, lodging, and storage costs are counted once. Full free-rent months apply chronologically at the start of the new lease.

Cash is not always cost

Refundable deposits remain separate.

Move deposits increase starting cash and are reported as cash held by the property. They are not treated as a loss or assumed to be returned.

Formula

How the comparison works

Modeled option cost = recurring costs through the selected horizon + entered one-time nonrefundable and transition costs - applicable concessions and credits.

The horizon cannot exceed the shorter entered lease term, so no post-expiration rent is predicted.
Free-rent months apply to the initial months of the new lease; entered dollar credits apply immediately.
Refundable deposits affect starting cash but are excluded from modeled nonrefundable cost.
Crossover analysis compares cumulative costs at whole-month boundaries only.

Deliberate limits

What the result does not decide

No overall life recommendation
No prediction of future rent, utilities, or commute prices
No apartment quality, neighborhood, or disruption score
No guarantee that refundable deposits will be returned

Worked scenarios

Moving costs more at first

A lower new rent can take several months to offset application, moving, setup, and overlap costs.

Renewing remains lower

When rent is similar and moving friction is high, renewing may remain lower in modeled cumulative cost throughout the selected horizon.

Starting cash differs from cost

A refundable deposit raises the cash required to move but is not included in modeled nonrefundable cost.

Initial free rent

A full free-rent month reduces the first month of modeled move rent and is shown as a concession, not a forecast.

Whole-month crossover

The worksheet identifies exact ties and changes between adjacent evaluated months without inventing a fractional break-even date.

Shorter-term boundary

A 12-month renewal and 10-month new lease can be compared for at most 10 months because later pricing is unknown.

Renewal and moving questions

Does this calculator tell me whether I should move?

No. It compares entered financial amounts only and does not score apartment quality, neighborhood preference, disruption, commute time, or landlord relationships.

Are refundable deposits counted as moving costs?

They are included in starting cash and reported as cash held by the property, but excluded from modeled nonrefundable cost.

How are free-rent months applied?

Full free-rent months apply chronologically to the initial months of the new lease. They are not spread evenly across the horizon.

Why can the horizon not exceed a lease term?

The calculator will not assume an unknown rent after either entered lease expires, so the horizon is limited to the shorter term.

Does the crossover month guarantee a break-even date?

No. The comparison evaluates cumulative entered costs at whole-month boundaries and does not infer a continuous fractional-month event.

Last reviewed August 11, 2026 - This calculator provides an informational estimate and is not legal, financial, tax, or housing advice.