Allowing Current Owner to Lease a Unit on Property Under Contract

[Marc Allen]

Hello,

I'm currently under contract on a 5-unit property in Colorado set to close in about 60 days. I received notice today that one of the tenants has provided notice that they plan to vacate the unit a couple weeks before the scheduled closing.  The existing owner has reached out to ask if I want the unit left vacant, or if I would like them to began to the process of securing a new tenant.  One thing to note is this is a few hours away from me and I am still working on establishing my support network in the area (maintenance calls, turn-over prep, showings, etc.) - so showing-up to do a bunch of showings is less than ideal. At a minimum, I will ensure they take on the cost of making the unit rent ready again, but as far as actually securing the tenant I see 3 options:

1. Let the current owner rent on their own accord. Pros: Less upfront work on my side, and current landlord is better positioned for a quick tenant placement given that they are local and are already working off a wait list. Cons/Risk: They bring in a crappy tenants that otherwise wouldn't have made it through my screening.
2. Attempt to participate in the tenant acquisition, using my own application and screening process. Pros: I have control over who the new tenant is, and unit is occupied immediately upon closing. Cons: Working with the current landlord, could be a pain.
3. Just wait until I close on the property and fill it myself. Pros: Complete control over who lands in the unit Cons: Potential revenue loss.

Would really appreciate the community's thoughts and anything I might be missing here.

Thanks - Marc