A property manager can connect each tenant, unit, and lease end date by creating a Unit custom object in GoHighLevel, linking each unit to its tenants' contact records, and firing renewal steps from the unit's lease end date. The bottom line: the lease belongs to the unit and may have two tenants, so the date should live on the unit, and the message should reach every tenant linked to it.
What the timing sources say
Renewal guidance from rental sources centers on 60 to 90 days. RentCafe says many landlords send renewal offers 60 to 90 days before the lease ends, that larger management companies sometimes begin outreach 90 to 120 days out in competitive markets, and that notice periods of 30 to 90 days can apply depending on local law and how long the tenant has lived there. A leasing article calls 90 days the safe default and says some rent increase notices run 90 days in places like California, then suggests reminders at 60 and 30 days.
A Hemlane guide says California's Tenant Protection Act requires a 90 day notice for increases over 10 percent, or 30 days otherwise for tenants who have lived there more than a year. DoorLoop says the biggest pitfall is missing the required notice window, because many expired leases convert to month to month tenancies under the original terms. Rules vary by state and city, so confirm yours before you set the intervals.
The renewal schedule
| Days before lease end | What happens | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| 120 | Task to review each unit: rent analysis, condition, and owner approval | Property manager |
| 90 | Renewal offer to every linked tenant, with the response deadline | Automatic |
| 60 | Reminder to tenants who have not responded | Automatic |
| 30 | Call task for the leasing office | Leasing office |
| The day after the lease end | Task to record whether the unit is month to month, renewed, or vacant | Leasing office |
Build it in GoHighLevel
- In your GoHighLevel account, go to Settings, then Objects, and click Add Custom Object. Enter Unit as the singular name and Units as the plural name, and label the primary field Unit Number. Only admins can create objects, and the internal name cannot be changed later.
- Add the fields to the unit object: Property, Lease start date, Lease end date, Current rent, and Renewal status.
- Open the object's Associations tab and add an association to Contacts with the label Tenant. GoHighLevel's documentation shows this flow for linking records, and one object can link to many contacts.
- Create a record for each unit and link it to the tenant contact.
- In Automation, choose Create Workflow and pick the workflow based on your custom object.
- Add the Custom Date Reminder trigger. For object workflows, GoHighLevel says the date field selector shows date fields on the same object. Select the date field and add Before Number of Days set to 90.
- Add the Add Associated Records to Workflow action, choose Contact as the object type, filter by the Tenant association label, and select the contact workflow that sends your message.
- Build the contact workflow with Send Email and Send SMS actions, and use Add Task for the leasing office.
Why the second workflow? GoHighLevel's support matrix lists conversations, bulk SMS, calendars, and payments as not supported for custom objects, and it lists emails to associated contacts as coming soon. The documented way to reach the owner is the Add Associated Records to Workflow action, which enrolls the linked contact in a normal contact workflow.
Email to send at 90 days
Subject: Your lease at [unit number] ends on [lease end date]. Hi [first name], your lease ends on [lease end date]. We would like you to stay, and we have renewal options for you. Please respond by [response deadline] so we can prepare your new lease.
What the workload looks like
A manager with 240 units and leases ending evenly through the year has about 20 leases reaching the 90 day mark every month (240 divided by 12). Each has one or more tenants. Building a message per unit by hand is 20 tasks a month, and a missed one becomes a month to month tenancy.
Mistakes to avoid
- Holding the date on the tenant. A unit with two tenants has one lease. Keep the date on the unit.
- Skipping the state notice rule. Confirm required notice for rent increases and nonrenewal.
- No status after the date. Record whether the unit renewed or went month to month.
- Forgetting to unlink moved out tenants. Remove their association so they stop getting messages.
Check before you switch it on
US text messages sent from a standard 10 digit number need A2P 10DLC registration. The HighLevel support portal says registration is required for texts to US recipients from 10 digit long code numbers and that toll free numbers do not require it. HighLevel's opt in guidelines also say a person cannot be forced to agree to text messages in order to submit a form, so keep the consent box optional. One compliance guide separates informational texts, which need documented consent, from marketing texts, which need prior express written consent. Ask your attorney which category your reminders fall into. Landlord tenant notices often have legal delivery requirements, so use these messages as reminders and send formal notices the way your lease and state law require. This is general information, not legal advice.
Questions people ask
How early should a renewal offer go out?
RentCafe says many landlords send offers 60 to 90 days ahead, and a leasing article calls 90 days the safe default, but local notice rules vary.
What happens if nobody responds?
DoorLoop says many expired leases convert to month to month under the original terms, so record that status.
Can one unit link to several tenants?
GoHighLevel documents many to many associations between records, so yes.
Ready to try it yourself? Start a GoHighLevel account here.
You can also see this in action in our GoHighLevel capabilities demo.