One of two tenants moving out

[Heather Gretka]

One of our two tenants is moving out. The one who is staying is eventually planning on leaving to move to the US when she is able to. Her move was delayed due to covid. The staying tenant has a friend (New tenant) who wants to move in, which would help cover the 2nd half of the rent in the interim.  This friend (new tenant) wants to teach English overseas when she is able to when the covid situation allows for it.  Ideally, both of the new tenant and staying a tenant would eventually move out at the same time, but that likely won’t happen.  We are thinking about doing a month to month lease with both of them.  But we don’t want a situation where one stays and gets another 2nd roommate and prolongs the place from being vacant.  Currently the place is rented for below market value, so we want new tenants entirely as to raise the rent.  Any thoughts on what you’d do in our situation?  Can we have an agreement where if one tenant moves out the both have to?  And if both the leaving tenant and staying tenant are on the same lease, does the leaving tenant leaving nullify the staying Tenant’s lease, meaning we could draw up a new lease entirely with higher rent for the new tenant and staying tenant?