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Renewal vs. Move Worksheet
$9.99A renewal increase is an annual cost; a move is a one-off cost. This works out how many months the cheaper rent has to last before it repays the move, and checks that against how long you would honestly stay — which is the actual question and one almost nobody does the arithmetic on. Says so plainly when the new place costs more and there is no break-even to compute. Pairs with the Move-In Cost Planner for the moving figure, and closes with the negotiation the numbers make possible: a landlord's cost of turnover is frequently larger than the increase being asked for, and that is leverage you hold only until you say yes.
Format: Excel (.xlsx)
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Preview only — scroll to read it. The file you download is fully editable.
| Renewal vs. Move Worksheet | ||
| A renewal increase is an annual cost you can see. Moving is a one-off cost you can also see. This works out how long the cheaper rent has to last before it pays for the move — which is the actual question, and it is one almost nobody does the arithmetic on before deciding. | ||
| Part 1 — Staying | ||
| Rent you pay now | 1650 | |
| Renewal rent offered | 1815 | |
| Increase, monthly | ƒx | |
| Increase, as a percentage | ƒx | |
| Increase, over twelve months | ƒx | The number to compare against the cost of moving — not the monthly figure, which always sounds smaller. |
| Any concession offered to renew | 0 | A free month, a waived fee, a parking space. Ask — a landlord's cost of turning over a unit is real and it gives you something to trade against. |
| Part 2 — Moving | ||
| Rent at the new place | 1595 | |
| Monthly saving vs. the renewal | ƒx | Negative means the new place costs MORE than renewing, in which case you are moving for a reason other than money and the break-even below will say so. |
| Saving over twelve months | ƒx | |
| True cost of the move | 4612 | From the Move-In Cost Planner: total cash out, less what is genuinely refundable. If you have not done that sheet, this number will be too low. |
| Deposit from the old place you do NOT expect back | 200 | Be honest. A deposit you are confident of getting back is not a cost; one you are arguing over is. |
| Total cost of moving | ƒx | |
| Part 3 — The break-even | ||
| Months for the cheaper rent to repay the move | ƒx | Cost of moving, divided by the monthly saving. Compare it against how long you would actually stay. |
| How long you would stay at the new place — months | 24 | Answer honestly, then subtract six. People are consistently wrong about this in one direction. |
| Verdict | ƒx | |
| Net position over your stated stay | ƒx | Positive means moving is ahead by that much in cash across the period you said you would stay. |
| Part 4 — Negotiating the renewal | ||
| A landlord's cost of turnover — vacancy, cleaning, listing, screening, and the risk of a worse tenant — is frequently larger than the increase they are asking for. That is your leverage, and it is strongest before you have said yes and gone the moment you have. Nothing here is a threat: the arithmet… | ||
| I have asked what the increase is for, and whether there is a longer-term option at a lower rate | ||
| I have checked what comparable units in the building are actually listed at right now | ||
| I have priced the move properly, so I know my own alternative | ||
| I have asked for a concession instead of a rent reduction — they are easier to give | ||
| I know my notice deadline, and it has not passed | ||
| Anything agreed is in writing before I sign | ||
| Part 5 — What the arithmetic leaves out | ||
| A commute that is twenty minutes shorter each way is roughly 170 hours a year. A unit with laundry in it, a landlord who fixes things, a school catchment, being near people you would otherwise drive to see — none of it appears above, and in a close case all of it should outrank the break-even month.… | ||
| This worksheet is a general planning tool, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Rates, fees, and program limits vary by lender, location, and your individual circumstances — confirm real numbers with a lender before making a decision. For real, sourced state-by-state figures, see calculatorbystate.c… | ||
| Notes | ||
This template is general information, not financial, legal, or tax advice.