Inherited Tenants/Leases Advice

[Mark Anderson]

Hi y'all I Inherited 4 tenants and 4 leases with my property however I was only provided the leases for 2 of the 4 existing leases for the tenants upon purchase. I increased the rents this past year and went through the proper procedures of certified mail to my tenants however 1 on them did not respond to signing the new lease and just paid an increase rent. Do I have liability to my tenants since I don't have a copy of their original lease? Can I just have them sign a new lease for this year? Should I keep them on month to month.

[Jill F.]

Like @Jonathan Taylor Smith, I also require newly inherited tenants to sign my (month-to-month) lease as soon as their lease expires or the first time they violate the terms of their existing lease-- whichever comes first. If a month-to-month tenant (and in Ohio if you don't have a written lease in effect you are month-to-month) will not sign my lease I tell them ok but the rent will go up $20 every month until you get on my lease... or you can move... They'll sign or move.