Working with current tenant when listing house

[Esther Tama]

Hi BP family,

I'm closing on my first rental property - SFH - next week. The purchase agreement noted that the current tenant/owner has 30 days to move out from the date of closing. I told my agent that the property management company would like to prep and put it up for listing as soon as it close, which entails showing it to potential new tenants. My agent seems to think the current tenant/owners have the 30 days until I can do such thing, but I feel like as the new owner, I have the right to go in and do what needs to be done so that it can be occupied right away. What are my legal rights here? HELP!

[Ben Scott]

Of course landlord tenancy laws are different in each state, but I'd assume the tenant has the 30 days to occupy the property free of encumbrances to his/her enjoyment of the property. I assume there is no lease and the tenant has been month to month? Honestly, doing any prep work will be difficult with the tenant inside. Also, you should be entitled to pro-rated rents and security deposit from the day you close.