Tenancy Variations, Change of Tenants and Extensions

Make a general tenancy variation

1

Open the property and select the tenancy

From the left sidebar, click Tenancies and open the property/tenancy (property managers don't have a Properties sidebar item. That's a landlord-only entry). If the property has more than one tenancy, pick the correct one from the Choose a Tenancy card.

2

Start the variation

Click the Actions button (top right) and choose New tenancy variation.

3

Give it a title

In Title, enter a brief description of the change, for example, "Change in pet policy".

4

Describe the change

In the Variation editor, use the pre-filled template to spell out what is changing and the date it takes effect.

5

Sign it

Add your Signature in the signature box.

6

Save

Click Save. The variation is created and every tenant is emailed a link to sign it.

Note: A variation can't be used to raise the rent, for a rent increase, choose Change rent from the Actions menu instead.

Change of Tenants

1

A dedicated workflow, not a general variation

Changing who is on the tenancy has its own flow. It isn't a general tenancy variation. A Change of tenants lets you pick exactly which tenants are leaving and who is moving in, and it files the bond change with Tenancy Services so the names on the bond stay correct while the tenancy continues.

2

Follow the full guide

Start it from the property's Actions button → Change of tenants. For the complete step-by-step (including the final Submit to Tenancy Services step once every tenant has signed), see Change of Tenants.

Note: At least one of the original tenants must keep renting the property. A change of tenants can't replace the whole household (use Ending a Tenancy for that). The tenancy also needs a Tenancy Services bond number on file before you can start one.

Extend a fixed-term tenancy

1

Open Tenancy Extensions

Click the Actions button and choose Tenancy Extensions. Any earlier extensions are listed in the Past Extensions table.

2

Choose the new end date

In the Extend tenancy form, pick the new End Date. It must be after the current end date, which is shown above the picker.

3

Check the agreement

The picked date is inserted automatically where the agreement shows the NEW END DATE placeholder. Check the letter reads correctly before signing.

4

Sign it

Add your Signature.

5

Save

Click Save. The extension is emailed to the tenants to sign and appears in Past Extensions.

Note: Extensions apply only to fixed-term tenancies. A periodic tenancy has no end date to extend. Keyhook automatically starts a renewal 74 days before a fixed-term tenancy ends, so use this form only when you want to extend earlier or set your own dates.

Manually extend a fixed-term tenancy

1

Use this when the tenants can't sign in the portal

If one or more tenants can't sign online, you can still extend the tenancy by getting the agreement signed on paper. You fill it in on Keyhook first, print it, then record the outcome yourself.

2

Fill in the extension as normal

Follow Extend a fixed-term tenancy above to pick the new End Date, check the agreement and add your Signature, then click Save. Saving is what gives you a document to print.

3

Open the saved extension

Click the Actions button, choose Tenancy Extensions, then click View on the new row in Past Extensions.

4

Print it and get it signed

Print the page from your browser (Ctrl+P on Windows, Cmd+P on a Mac). Every tenant has to sign the printed copy.

5

Upload the signed copy

Back on the property, go to the Documents card, open its Actions menu and choose Add tenancy document, then upload the scan.

6

Go to the Dates step

In the left menu, click Set Up Tenancy, then open the Dates step.

7

Change the end date by hand

Click Change next to End date and pick the date you just had signed. Keyhook shows you how the change affects the tenancy's rent and payments, then asks you to type CONFIRM before you click Confirm.

8

Save

Click Save (or Save and continue) to store the new end date.

Note: If an end of tenancy has already been sent for this tenancy, the Change button on the end date won't work while Keyhook is updating that feature. Contact support to get the date changed.

Renew a tenancy near the end of its term

1

Let Keyhook start it

There's no button to start a renewal yourself. Keyhook creates one automatically once a fixed-term tenancy is 74 days from its end date, which allows 60 days' notice for a rent increase plus a fortnight of room to spare.

2

Open it from the email

When the renewal is created, Keyhook emails everyone on the property who receives notifications, telling them the tenancy is ending. That email links straight to the tenancy's Tenancy Renewal page. There's no way to reach the page from the property itself at the moment, so hang on to the email.

3

Set the rent

On Give notice for changing rent, click Keep the same rent, or enter the new rent and sign the rent-change notice.

4

Choose a renewal option

On Select a Renewal Option, pick Go Periodic to roll the tenancy over to a periodic one, or Extend Current Lease to sign a variation with a new fixed-term end date. Click Next.

5

Confirm

For Go Periodic, click Go Periodic to confirm and the tenants are told. For Extend Current Lease, pick the new end date, add your Signature and click Save, exactly like a manual extension.

Note: If you do nothing, the tenancy automatically becomes periodic after the current end date.

Track a variation until everyone signs

1

Find pending variations

On the property, scroll to the Pending Tenancy Variations card. It lists every variation still waiting on signatures, with a # Signatures count.

2

Open one

Click View to open the variation and see who has signed so far.

3

Wait for all tenants

Tenants sign from the link they were emailed or from their Keyhook portal. The variation isn't final until every tenant has signed.

4

Find it once complete

Once all tenants have signed, the variation leaves Pending Tenancy Variations and is filed under the tenancy's documents.

What's the difference between a variation, an extension and a change of tenants?

A general variation changes the terms of the agreement, like the pet policy, and it can also be used to change the tenancy's dates. An extension is the purpose-built way to push out a fixed-term end date. A change of tenants is what you use when the people on the tenancy change, including adding or removing someone. All three produce a tenancy variation that the tenants sign.

Can I change the rent with a tenancy variation?

No. A variation explicitly won't act as a rent-increase notice. Use Change rent from the Actions menu to issue a rent change.

Do all the tenants have to sign?

Yes. A variation stays in the Pending Tenancy Variations card until every tenant has signed; only then is it finalised and added to the tenancy's documents.

How do I extend a periodic tenancy?

You can't. A periodic tenancy has no end date, so there's nothing to extend. It simply continues. Extensions and renewals apply to fixed-term tenancies.

What happens if I don't renew before a fixed-term tenancy ends?

It automatically becomes a periodic tenancy after the end date. Keyhook starts the renewal about 74 days out so you can decide beforehand whether to go periodic or extend.

Tenancy Variations, Change of Tenants and Extensions

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