How long of notice to give tenants when not renewing lease?

[Kip Thompson]

My wife and I are renting out a townhouse in Vancouver, WA. The lease will be expiring in August 2019 (4 months from now) and we are thinking about not renewing the lease with the current tenants. How long of a notice would you suggest giving them? Just wondering what the pros/cons are of notifying them ASAP vs. waiting as long as possible. These are the first tenants we've ever had (they've been there for 5 years) and so this is uncharted territory.

[Eric H.]

@Kip Thompson Greetings,

1. Check your state statutes. It will dictate what the minimum requirement is.

2. Check your lease. It should be included in the lease somewhere.

3. Finally, I would say the sooner the better. It will give the tenant more time to make arrangements. Not sure what you plan to do after the tenants are gone, but I am sure some work will need to be done to the property given that they have been there 5 years. Inspect the property asap to get an understanding of what works needs to be done and get some quotes/estimates. Some things you may be able to do while the tenant is still there. Ultimately this will decrease your vacancy time and turnaround time to get another tenant in the property.

I wish you the best.