Tenant Lease to Expire August 1st but wants to extend until EOY

[Jo Ballagh]

I have some wonderful tenants in place currently. Their lease is expiring at the end of this month. They've just asked to extend through the end of the year because they are building a house and don't want to move twice. Totally understandable. 

Here's my concern...we are in Alaska. A lease expiring in the winter is never good but it's even worse sometimes up here because of weather. 

Active Landlords or any one who has encountered this: Would you extend a good tenant for 6 months knowing that replacing that tenant in December will be significantly more difficult? Or would you replace them now and get a new tenant to sign a year lease, expiring again in the summer months. 

[Tom S.]

@Jo Ballagh  Agreed, I'm in VT and it's tough to get tenants during winter.  If they're good tenants you can always try a compromise of 9 months, which is April 1st.  I've done that successfully a few times and by spring it's always easier.  

 - Tom