The present disclosure discloses a method and a network device for causing client devices to renew DHCP IP addresses based on link local addresses. Specifically, the network device provides for detecting that a wireless client device has been self-assigned with an automatic IP address, and for de-authenticating the wireless client device such that the wireless client device restarts the authentication process and the DHCP process subsequently without excessive delay. In particular, the network device may receive a packet from a wireless client device. The network device then determines that a source or destination IP address of a received packet corresponding to the wireless client device is a link local IP address. Responsive to determining that the source IP address is a link local IP address, the network device transmits at least one message that causes the wireless client device to request a new IP address.