Writing new lease agreements in California

[Michael Rojas]

Hi All!

I took ownership of a 4-plex in Oakland, CA in June of this year. Two of my tenants never signed the original lease that was provided to them by the previous owner and I would like to get new lease agreements in place. I look at this as a chance to update all of the lease agreements for all four tenants. I have discussed this with them individually and all four tenants are willing to sign a new lease agreement.

Was wondering what steps I need to take in order to get this done?

I have read that:

(1)You should provide a 30-day written notice to your tenants that there will be a change in their tenancy

(2) You should also have an agreement signed by both myself “ landlord” and the tenant that we mutually agree to terminate the original lease agreement.

If this is true, I was thinking of aligning the effective date of the termination letter with the effective date of the new lease agreement so that it is clear that the intent is to recognize the new agreement moving forward effective “January 1, 2021”. What other things should I consider or do, in order to get these lease agreements updated?

Looking forward to hearing all of your feedback and tips!