Tenant Moving Out Early and Requesting Pro-Rated Rent

[Karen Johnson]

Hello,

After several months of telling me they were likely to move in a month (they went from a 1 year lease to month-to-month as they were trying to purchase a home), my tenants are moving. I found out because I contacted them regarding the rent being late, and was told, oh, by the way, we are moving at the end of this month. They paid the rent, so no issues there. Now, tenant is asking if I will prorate the rent and issue a refund if they move out by the 15th (note, it is the 12th, and they literally asked me this question via text 10 minutes ago). I feel like I want to make them pay the whole month just for my troubles (they paid late constantly and I always had to remind them). What would you advise doing in this case? I wouldn't mind them moving earlier because I can get ready for a new tenant quicker, but it's also not like they are doing me a favor, per se. Any advice welcome.

Thanks,

Karen.

[Karen Johnson]

I thought this through some more and decided to tell the tenant it's not an option. The sudden decision to move earlier is honestly not my issue and I'm not obligated to make things easier for them. I think they may be asking because we've had a pretty good rapport, but at the end of the day it's business and I have to treat it as such.