What's actually going on
An evergreen clause says the term extends automatically unless written notice arrives inside a defined window before maturity.
The renewal is often twelve months, sometimes rolling month to month, and it happens at the original payment even though the equipment is fully depreciated.
Nothing about the invoice changes when it triggers, which is why offices discover it months later.
What to do in the next 48 hours
- 1Find the end-of-term or renewal clause in your current lease and highlight the notice window and required method.
- 2Put the date on a shared calendar with a named owner and a reminder thirty days ahead.
- 3Send notice for the next valid window even if you plan to stay. Notice preserves choice; it does not force a return.
- 4On the next agreement, ask for the automatic renewal to be struck or capped at month-to-month before you sign.
The honest tradeoffs
- Removing the clause entirely is the cleanest outcome and is not always granted. A month-to-month cap is the realistic fallback.
- A rolling monthly extension is more flexible than a twelve-month renewal and often carries a slightly higher rate. That is usually worth paying.
Your next step
Questions people ask next
- What is an evergreen clause in a copier lease?
- A provision that automatically extends the lease term when the customer does not give written notice inside a defined window before maturity. Renewals are commonly twelve months or a rolling month-to-month at the original payment.
- Can an automatic copier lease renewal be removed?
- It can often be negotiated before signing, either struck entirely or capped so any extension is month-to-month. Get the change written into the agreement rather than confirmed by email.
More on a lease that's ending
- My copier lease is ending and I don't know what to do
- My lease auto-renewed and I never agreed to it
- I have to return a copier and I don't know the rules
- My copier lease is expiring: what are my actual options?
- I need out of my copier lease early
- What happens if I don't return the copier?
- Should I rent, lease or buy the next copier?
- My lease deadline is days away: what do I do in the next 48 hours?
- FMV or $1 buyout: which copier lease should I sign?
- Lease or rent a copier: what's the actual difference?
- What happens if I just do nothing when my copier lease ends?
- My copier bill keeps going up and nobody can explain why
- I think I'm overpaying but I can't prove it
- My copier keeps jamming and I've stopped trusting it