Sharing our successful implementation of automated lease renewal workflows in Odoo 15 for our commercial real estate portfolio. We manage 240 commercial leases across 18 properties, with an average of 45 renewals per quarter. Previously, our team manually tracked renewal dates in spreadsheets, sent renewal notices via email, followed up with tenants, and processed renewal documents. This consumed 120+ hours per quarter and we frequently missed optimal renewal timing. We implemented an automated workflow using Odoo’s Automated Actions and Email Templates that transformed our renewal process. The system now monitors lease end dates, automatically triggers renewal notices 120 days before expiration, sends follow-up reminders at 90 and 60 days, tracks tenant responses, and routes approved renewals through our internal approval workflow. Our manual processing time dropped from 120 hours to 30 hours per quarter, and we haven’t missed a renewal deadline since implementation. Tenant satisfaction improved because they receive timely, consistent communications. Would be happy to share configuration details if others are looking to automate similar workflows.
Impressive results! The 75% reduction in processing time is significant. I’m curious about how you handled the tenant response tracking piece. Did you build a custom module or use standard Odoo functionality? Also, how do you manage lease terms that vary significantly - are different workflows needed for different lease types, or did you create a flexible single workflow that accommodates variations? The follow-up reminder sequence at 120/90/60 days is smart for ensuring tenants have adequate time to make decisions. We’re implementing something similar for contract renewals in a different industry and would love to understand your approach to tracking which notices have been sent and preventing duplicate communications.
Great use case! For others looking to implement similar automation, the key is proper data modeling upfront. You need clean lease records with accurate end dates, tenant contact information, and renewal terms. The automated actions are straightforward once your master data is solid. I’d recommend starting with a pilot group of leases to test the workflow timing and email templates before rolling out to your full portfolio. One thing to watch for is timezone handling if your properties span multiple regions - you want renewal notices to arrive during business hours, not at midnight. Also consider building in flexibility for early renewals or lease modifications that might change the end date after the workflow has started. The 75% time reduction is achievable but requires discipline in maintaining the underlying lease data.
How do you handle lease renewals that require rent adjustments or other term changes? Does the workflow accommodate negotiation scenarios or is it mainly for straightforward renewals with unchanged terms?