diff --git a/admin/cmd/main.go b/admin/cmd/main.go
index bada1f4..6c03493 100644
--- a/admin/cmd/main.go
+++ b/admin/cmd/main.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/db"
 	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/inject"
 	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/licensing"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/lifecycle"
 	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/mail"
 	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/models"
 )
@@ -72,6 +73,9 @@ func main() {
 	defer stopReconcile()
 	inject.StartReconciler(reconcileCtx)
 
+	lifecycle.SetPortalURL(cfg.PublicURL)
+	lifecycle.Start(reconcileCtx, cfg.ReapAfter)
+
 	srv := &http.Server{
 		Addr:              cfg.Addr,
 		Handler:           api.Routes(cfg),
diff --git a/admin/internal/config/config.go b/admin/internal/config/config.go
index 6842b57..bcf8c8a 100644
--- a/admin/internal/config/config.go
+++ b/admin/internal/config/config.go
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
+	"time"
 )
 
 type Config struct {
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	AllowedOrigins  []string
 	TrustProxy      bool
 	Addr            string
+	ReapAfter       time.Duration
 
 	SMTPHost     string
 	SMTPPort     string
@@ -108,6 +110,18 @@ func Load() (Config, error) {
 			c.AllowedOrigins = append(c.AllowedOrigins, o)
 		}
 	}
+
+	// Mirrors the control plane's FREE_INSTANCE_REAP_AFTER so notice emails can
+	// name the real deletion date. An unparseable value is refused rather than
+	// silently treated as "off": a typo here would quietly stop every deletion
+	// warning while the control plane still deletes.
+	if v := os.Getenv("FREE_INSTANCE_REAP_AFTER"); v != "" {
+		d, err := time.ParseDuration(v)
+		if err != nil {
+			return Config{}, fmt.Errorf("FREE_INSTANCE_REAP_AFTER %q: %w", v, err)
+		}
+		c.ReapAfter = d
+	}
 	return c, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/admin/internal/lifecycle/lifecycle.go b/admin/internal/lifecycle/lifecycle.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2fe31d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/internal/lifecycle/lifecycle.go
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+// Package lifecycle marks lapsed Free instances and sends the renewal notices.
+//
+// It sends; it never deletes. Deletion belongs to the control plane, which is
+// the only service that knows what an instance is made of. The two are kept
+// apart on purpose: a bug here sends a wrong email, a bug there loses data.
+package lifecycle
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"log"
+	"slices"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/db"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/mail"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/admin/internal/models"
+	"github.com/mrhid6/vantage/shared/license"
+	"go.mongodb.org/mongo-driver/v2/bson"
+)
+
+// Interval is how often the sweep runs. Hourly is far finer than the daily
+// granularity of the notices, which means a notice goes out within an hour of
+// becoming due rather than up to a day late.
+const Interval = time.Hour
+
+// Notice keys, recorded on the instance so a restart cannot re-send one.
+const (
+	noticeExpiring = "expiring"
+	noticeExpired  = "expired"
+	noticeDelete7  = "delete_7"
+	noticeDelete1  = "delete_1"
+)
+
+// portalURL is the customer portal address used in notice emails.
+var portalURL string
+
+// SetPortalURL is called once at boot.
+func SetPortalURL(v string) { portalURL = v }
+
+// reapAfter mirrors the control plane's FREE_INSTANCE_REAP_AFTER so the emails
+// can name the real deletion date. Zero means the reaper is off, and the
+// deletion notices are then suppressed — promising a deletion that will never
+// happen would be a lie, and a scarier one than saying nothing.
+var reapAfter time.Duration
+
+// Run performs one sweep: mark lapsed instances, then send whatever notices are
+// due. Errors on one instance never stop the others.
+func Run(ctx context.Context) error {
+	now := time.Now().UTC()
+
+	cur, err := db.Admin("admin_instances").Find(ctx, bson.M{
+		"deployment": license.DeploymentCloud,
+		"tier":       license.TierFree,
+		"status":     bson.M{"$in": []string{models.StatusActive, models.StatusLapsed}},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	var instances []models.Instance
+	if err := cur.All(ctx, &instances); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	for _, inst := range instances {
+		var lic models.License
+		if err := db.Admin("licenses").FindOne(ctx,
+			bson.M{"license_id": inst.CurrentLicense}).Decode(&lic); err != nil {
+			continue // no licence yet; nothing to expire
+		}
+
+		// Flip active -> lapsed once the licence is past its expiry.
+		if now.After(lic.ExpiresAt) && inst.Status == models.StatusActive {
+			if _, err := db.Admin("admin_instances").UpdateOne(ctx,
+				bson.M{"instance_id": inst.InstanceID},
+				bson.M{"$set": bson.M{"status": models.StatusLapsed}}); err != nil {
+				log.Printf("lifecycle: mark %s lapsed: %v", inst.InstanceID, err)
+			}
+		}
+
+		due := dueNotice(now, lic.ExpiresAt, inst.NoticesSent)
+		if due == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		if err := sendNotice(ctx, inst, lic, due); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("lifecycle: notice %s for %s: %v", due, inst.InstanceID, err)
+			continue
+		}
+		if _, err := db.Admin("admin_instances").UpdateOne(ctx,
+			bson.M{"instance_id": inst.InstanceID},
+			bson.M{"$addToSet": bson.M{"notices_sent": due}}); err != nil {
+			log.Printf("lifecycle: record notice %s for %s: %v", due, inst.InstanceID, err)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// dueNotice returns the most urgent unsent notice, or "".
+//
+// Most urgent first, so an instance that was missed for a week — because admin
+// was down — sends the one that matters now rather than working through a
+// backlog of stale warnings.
+func dueNotice(now, expires time.Time, sent []string) string {
+	deleteOn := expires.Add(reapAfter)
+
+	if reapAfter > 0 {
+		if now.After(deleteOn.Add(-24*time.Hour)) && !slices.Contains(sent, noticeDelete1) {
+			return noticeDelete1
+		}
+		if now.After(deleteOn.Add(-7*24*time.Hour)) && !slices.Contains(sent, noticeDelete7) {
+			return noticeDelete7
+		}
+	}
+	if now.After(expires) && !slices.Contains(sent, noticeExpired) {
+		return noticeExpired
+	}
+	if now.After(expires.Add(-models.RenewWindow)) && !slices.Contains(sent, noticeExpiring) {
+		return noticeExpiring
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
+func sendNotice(ctx context.Context, inst models.Instance, lic models.License, key string) error {
+	if !mail.Enabled() {
+		return nil
+	}
+	var acct models.Account
+	if err := db.Admin("accounts").FindOne(ctx,
+		bson.M{"account_id": inst.AccountID}).Decode(&acct); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	to := acct.BillingEmail
+	deleteOn := lic.ExpiresAt.Add(reapAfter)
+
+	switch key {
+	case noticeExpiring:
+		return mail.SendExpiring(to, inst.Name, portalURL, lic.ExpiresAt)
+	case noticeExpired:
+		return mail.SendExpired(to, inst.Name, portalURL, deleteOn)
+	case noticeDelete7:
+		return mail.SendDeletionWarning(to, inst.Name, portalURL, deleteOn, 7)
+	case noticeDelete1:
+		return mail.SendDeletionWarning(to, inst.Name, portalURL, deleteOn, 1)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Start runs the sweep on a ticker until ctx is cancelled.
+//
+// reapAfterDur must match the control plane's FREE_INSTANCE_REAP_AFTER. If they
+// disagree, the emails name a date the reaper does not honour — so they are
+// documented as a pair in CLAUDE.md and set together in the compose file.
+func Start(ctx context.Context, reapAfterDur time.Duration) {
+	reapAfter = reapAfterDur
+	go func() {
+		runOnce(ctx)
+		t := time.NewTicker(Interval)
+		defer t.Stop()
+		for {
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				return
+			case <-t.C:
+				runOnce(ctx)
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+}
+
+func runOnce(ctx context.Context) {
+	runCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, 5*time.Minute)
+	defer cancel()
+	if err := Run(runCtx); err != nil {
+		log.Printf("lifecycle: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/admin/internal/mail/mail.go b/admin/internal/mail/mail.go
index 043bd7b..bc6e6a4 100644
--- a/admin/internal/mail/mail.go
+++ b/admin/internal/mail/mail.go
@@ -80,3 +80,38 @@ func SendRenewed(to, instanceName string, expires time.Time) error {
 		fmt.Sprintf("%s is renewed.\n\nYour Free licence now runs until %s.\n",
 			instanceName, expires.Format("2 January 2006")))
 }
+
+// SendExpiring is the renew-now nudge, seven days out.
+func SendExpiring(to, instanceName, portalURL string, expires time.Time) error {
+	return send(to, instanceName+" expires on "+expires.Format("2 January"),
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s's Free licence runs out on %s.\n\n"+
+			"Renew it in one click:\n\n%s\n\n"+
+			"If you do nothing, the instance keeps running but stops accepting changes.\n",
+			instanceName, expires.Format("2 January 2006"), portalURL))
+}
+
+// SendExpired states plainly what has stopped and what happens next.
+//
+// It names the deletion date rather than a vague warning: the whole point of the
+// sequence is that nobody loses an instance without having been told a date.
+func SendExpired(to, instanceName, portalURL string, deleteOn time.Time) error {
+	return send(to, instanceName+" is now read-only",
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s's Free licence has expired.\n\n"+
+			"Your servers and monitors keep running and your agents keep their keys, "+
+			"but changes are disabled.\n\n"+
+			"Renew it here:\n\n%s\n\n"+
+			"If it is not renewed, the instance and everything in it will be deleted on %s.\n",
+			instanceName, portalURL, deleteOn.Format("2 January 2006")))
+}
+
+// SendDeletionWarning is the final countdown, sent at seven days and one day.
+func SendDeletionWarning(to, instanceName, portalURL string, deleteOn time.Time, daysLeft int) error {
+	when := fmt.Sprintf("in %d days", daysLeft)
+	if daysLeft <= 1 {
+		when = "tomorrow"
+	}
+	return send(to, instanceName+" will be deleted "+when,
+		fmt.Sprintf("%s and everything in it will be deleted %s, on %s.\n\n"+
+			"This cannot be undone. Renew it here to keep it:\n\n%s\n",
+			instanceName, when, deleteOn.Format("2 January 2006"), portalURL))
+}