Reduce liability when non-renewing a tenant

[Kent F.]

I’m closing on a triplex in a few weeks and I plan on not renewing one of the tenants right away after closing. How could I minimize the chance of this tenant claiming some sort of discrimination or unfair treatment since I’d be leaving the other tenants in place?

 This tenant’s lease is month-to-month. 

Some of the reasons I would like to not renew them are: 

-They’re messy with lots of junk outside their unit and in the lawn. 

-Their monthly rent is $50 lower than the other two units. 

-A few months ago I observed a city employee turning off their water. This gives me concern about their ability to pay the rent in the future.

-Renovating would result in a $250 rent increase for that unit.

Any advice on how to prevent legal trouble and interpersonal conflict in this situation would be greatly appreciated.

Last year I bought the triplex next door to this one, I didn’t renew any of the tenants, and then renovated all three units. They were not happy but at least nobody could feel singled out. 

Thanks!