New Tenant Offering to Pay for Improvements

[Jared Wonders]

Good evening BP users! Appreciate your advice in advance as we are just starting our investment journey. We recently closed on our property and are hoping to have a long-term tenant in place. They haven’t even started out their tenancy but are asking for laminate floors and offered to pay to replace our brand new carpet with laminate flooring in the downstairs living room and dining room. Our market varies in offering laminate in the common areas from what I have researched and our rent is fair based on the property’s current state. It seems too good to be true but I’m wondering what the end game is here (if they just legitimately really want laminate and are willing to pay more or if in the future they will throw these “improvements” in our face when trying to increase our rents in the future). I’ve read a few posts on BP about not letting a tenant pay as this may constitute an equitable position, however, I could see it working if we structure a contract with our tenant appropriately. Just wondering if investors have ran across this issue and again appreciate all advice! Jared