---
id: 6d6b0011
title: "Contracts: Create, Renew and Expire"
summary: Tenancy contracts drafted for you from the Kenya (or UK or Nigeria) template, edited clause by clause, signed online, tracked to their end date, and renewed in one click or automatically.
audience: Landlords and tenants
order: 11
keywords: contracts, lease, tenancy agreement, sign, renew, auto-renew, automatic renewal, expire, terminate, template, PDF
updated: 2026-10-23
cover: ../media/contracts-create.gif
---

# Contracts: Create, Renew and Expire

> **In one sentence:** Mkodisha writes the tenancy contract for you, both sides sign it online, and Mkodisha warns you 90 days before it ends so you can renew it in one click, or renews it for you if you switched on **Auto-renew**.

## The simple version

A **contract** (also called a lease or tenancy agreement) is the written promise between landlord and tenant: who rents which house, for how much, and until when.

In Mkodisha:

1. **It writes itself.** When you add a tenant, Mkodisha drafts a one-year contract from the Kenya template, already signed by you.
2. **The tenant signs online.** They open it in the app and click **Sign Contract**.
3. **Mkodisha keeps watch.** It shows which contracts are active, waiting for a signature, ending soon, or already ended.
4. **Renewing is one click, or none.** When a contract's year is up, click **Renew Contract**. Or switch on **Auto-renew** when you create it, and Mkodisha renews it by itself on the end date.

## Why Mkodisha does this better

- **No lawyer's blank page.** Start from a ready Kenya, UK or Nigeria residential lease and change only what you need.
- **Names, rent and dates fill themselves in.** Pick the building and tenant, and the details go into the right places.
- **Signed without printing.** Tenants sign from their phone; you both keep the same copy.
- **Nothing expires by surprise.** *Expiring Soon* lists contracts ending within 90 days.
- **Renews itself if you want.** Auto-renew contracts carry an **Auto-renew** tag and have their own filter tab.
- **Download any time.** Export to PDF or Word.

## Where to find it

| What | Link |
|------|------|
| Contracts page | [mkodisha.com/app/containers/Pages/Contracts](https://mkodisha.com/app/containers/Pages/Contracts) |
| Tenant contracts list | [mkodisha.com/app/containers/Pages/Contracts#tenant-contracts](https://mkodisha.com/app/containers/Pages/Contracts#tenant-contracts) |
| Contracts ending soon (renew / terminate) | [mkodisha.com/app](https://mkodisha.com/app) → **Contracts** tab |

## What each contract status means

![The contract summary boxes, then the filter tabs](https://articles.mkodisha.com/guides/media/contracts-overview.gif)

| Box | Meaning |
|-----|---------|
| **Active** | Signed by both landlord and tenant |
| **Pending** | Signed by the landlord, waiting for the tenant |
| **Expiring Soon** | Ends within the next 90 days |
| **Expired** | The end date has passed (Mkodisha marks this by itself) |
| **Terminated** | Ended early on purpose |

Below the boxes, **Tenant Contracts** lists every contract. Filter with the tabs **All, Drafts, Ready for tenant signature, Signed, Expiring soon** and **Auto-renew**, search by tenant, or filter by country. Each contract has **View** and **PDF** buttons.

Contracts that renew themselves show a purple **Auto-renew** tag under their status. A contract that Mkodisha created by renewing an old one says *Renewed automatically*.

## Step 1: Create a contract

![Creating a Kenya lease for Sharon Jepkemboi at Ngong Road Bedsitters](https://articles.mkodisha.com/guides/media/contracts-create.gif)

1. Click **Create Tenant Contract**.
2. Choose a starting point:
   - **Use a Template**: a complete residential lease for the country you pick (**Kenya** or **United Kingdom**, more under *See more*).
   - **Start from Blank**: write or paste your own wording.
3. Under **03 Renewal**, switch on **Auto-renew this contract** if you want it to renew by itself when it ends (see Step 4). Leave it off if you would rather decide each time.
4. Click to continue. The contract opens in the editor.
5. On the right, under **Metadata & Status**, choose the **Property**, the **Tenant**, the **Start date** and **End date**, and tick **Signed by landlord** if you have signed. The **Auto-renew at the end date** switch is here too, so you can change your mind until the contract is signed.
6. In the middle, edit any section (Date, Parties, Whereas, Term, Rent, Deposit…). You can add, remove and reorder sections. Words in curly brackets, like `{start_date}`, are filled in for you; **Apply values to draft** puts the real names and amounts in.
7. Use the buttons at the top:
   - **Save Draft**: keep working later.
   - **View Document**: see it as the tenant will.
   - **Export PDF** / **Export Word**: download it.
   - **Send Externally**: email it as an attachment or a secure link, optionally asking for the tenant's signature.

> Remember: Mkodisha already drafts a contract for every tenant you add. Use **Create Tenant Contract** for a new or different agreement.

## Step 2: Read or download a contract

![Viewing a contract](https://articles.mkodisha.com/guides/media/contracts-view.gif)

Click **View** to read any contract, or **PDF** to download it to print or share.

## Step 3 (tenant): Sign

![Faith Njeri opens her contract and signs it](https://articles.mkodisha.com/guides/media/contracts-tenant-sign.gif)

1. The tenant opens **Contracts** in their menu.
2. They click **View Document** and read it.
3. They click **Sign Contract**. The contract becomes **Active** and shows *Already Signed*.

## Step 4: Renew or end a contract

![The Contracts tab on the home page, counting down days, with Renew Contract](https://articles.mkodisha.com/guides/media/contracts-renew.gif)

On your home page, the **Contracts** tab lists contracts by how many days they have left (*Expires in … days*), coloured from green to red as the date gets close. On each one:

- **Renew Contract**: once a contract is a year old, this closes it and creates a fresh copy, already signed by you, waiting for the tenant's signature.
- **Terminate**: ends the contract now. It moves to **Terminated**.

### Automatic renewal

If **Auto-renew** is on, you don't have to do anything when the end date comes:

1. Every night, Mkodisha looks for auto-renew contracts that have reached their end date.
2. For each one, it makes the next contract: **same tenant, same house, same terms, same length**, starting the day after the old one ends.
3. The new contract is **already signed by both of you**, because you both agreed to auto-renewal when you signed the first one. It keeps the **Auto-renew** tag, so it renews again next time.
4. You and the tenant both get a notification: *"Contract renewed automatically … from 1 Jan 2027 to 31 Dec 2027."*
5. The old contract moves to **Expired** as normal.

Only contracts signed by **both** landlord and tenant renew. Drafts, contracts waiting for the tenant's signature and terminated contracts are never renewed. A contract renews only once; after that, its new copy takes over.

> **Example:** Faith Njeri's contract at Kilimani Heights runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026 with Auto-renew on. On the night of 31 December, Mkodisha creates her 2027 contract (1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027), signed by both sides, and tells Faith and her landlord.

To stop a contract renewing, **Terminate** it before its end date, or create a new contract with different terms.

## Quick answers

**Do I have to write a contract for every tenant?**
No. Mkodisha drafts a one-year contract for every tenant you add.

**Which countries' templates are there?**
Kenya, the United Kingdom and Nigeria (residential).

**How does a tenant sign?**
**Contracts → View Document → Sign Contract**, from their phone or computer.

**What does "Expiring Soon" mean?**
The contract ends within the next 90 days.

**Can I renew early?**
The **Renew Contract** button works once the contract is a year old. To change terms earlier, create a new contract.

**Can Mkodisha renew contracts by itself?**
Yes. Switch on **Auto-renew this contract** when you create it (or **Auto-renew at the end date** in the editor before it is signed). On the end date it renews for the same length, on the same terms, and tells you both.

**How do I see which contracts auto-renew?**
Click the **Auto-renew** tab above the contract list, or look for the purple **Auto-renew** tag.

**Can I download a contract?**
Yes: **PDF** in the list, or **Export PDF** / **Export Word** in the editor.

## Words to know

| Word | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| Contract / lease / tenancy agreement | The written agreement between landlord and tenant |
| Template | A ready-made contract to start from |
| Draft | A contract still being written |
| Sign | Agree to the contract, online |
| Renew | Start a new contract period with the same tenant |
| Auto-renew | Mkodisha renews the contract by itself on its end date |
| Terminate | End a contract early |

## Videos

[![Mkodisha: Manage Rent, Bills and Tenancy Contracts with Ease](https://img.youtube.com/vi/UsSWGFW-3g8/hqdefault.jpg)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsSWGFW-3g8)

## Related guides

- [Adding Tenants and Managing Them](tenant-management.md)
- [Documents](documents.md)
- [Landlord and Tenant Dashboards](dashboards.md)
- [Notifications](notifications.md)