Auto-Renewal Clauses: Designed So You Forget

Auto-renewal clauses count on you missing the cancellation window. Here is how to spot them before signing.

An auto-renewal clause is a deadline buried inside a paragraph. The term renews on its own unless you cancel inside a window, often 30 or 60 days before the end date.

Read three things together: the initial term, the renewal length, and the notice period. The trap is usually the notice period, because it opens and closes months before you would think to look.

Ask for a renewal that requires your written consent. If the other side refuses, ask for a reminder notice 30 days before the window closes. That costs them nothing and protects you.