remove someone from lease renewal before it takes effect

[John K.]

This is a good one!

Purchased a property with tenants a while ago.  During purchase process just got the name of one person in the unit, so we started out with just that one name on the lease we drafted (it was month-to-month on verbal with old landlord).  

Renewal season rolls around, tenant requests that we add the spouse officially to the lease.  My perspective: great!  Just another name on the lease.  They just signed the lease renewal which goes into effect in about 60 days - now the spouse no longer wants to be on it.  

I don't really care - they have been good tenants and were inherited with the property, but I feel like it's a paperwork mess.  Obviously the easy thing to do would be to "tear up" the renewal they both signed and just do a new one - but I'm not sure if that's proper since we signed it and sent them back the copy of it.  

Is there an official document to remove someone from the lease?