diff --git a/pandas/core/frame.py b/pandas/core/frame.py
index 06519da9a26d5..39c54c720fef6 100644
--- a/pandas/core/frame.py
+++ b/pandas/core/frame.py
@@ -3909,8 +3909,8 @@ def rename(self, *args, **kwargs):
         copy : boolean, default True
             Also copy underlying data
         inplace : boolean, default False
-            Whether to return a new DataFrame. If True then value of copy is
-            ignored.
+            If True, perform the operation in-place, modifying this DataFrame,
+            and return None.
         level : int or level name, default None
             In case of a MultiIndex, only rename labels in the specified
             level.
diff --git a/pandas/tests/frame/test_alter_axes.py b/pandas/tests/frame/test_alter_axes.py
index 33128a8ab179a..7be9929d713ab 100644
--- a/pandas/tests/frame/test_alter_axes.py
+++ b/pandas/tests/frame/test_alter_axes.py
@@ -678,8 +678,9 @@ def test_rename_inplace(self, float_frame):
 
         c_id = id(float_frame['C'])
         float_frame = float_frame.copy()
-        float_frame.rename(columns={'C': 'foo'}, inplace=True)
+        result = float_frame.rename(columns={'C': 'foo'}, inplace=True)
 
+        assert result is None
         assert 'C' not in float_frame
         assert 'foo' in float_frame
         assert id(float_frame['foo']) != c_id