Inherited Tenant Moving Out

[Jared Pinkus]

Happy New Year everyone –

I made my first deal a few months back, two townhomes in a four-unit complex. One of the units was vacant, the other occupied with a Section 8 tenant.

Last month, the inherited tenant mentioned they will not be renewing their lease which expires at the end of March. I have a love-hate relationship with this tenant. I’ve only been once in the past 5-months and they've never been late with their portion of rent however, they are also pretty disrespectful and self-entitled. The tenant has lived in the unit for five-years and has done some improvements (painting, flooring).

What steps should I take to make sure the transition goes smoothly, are good tenants usually pretty responsive to the process seeing as they will need a reference for their next landlord?

My biggest concerns are:

• They will leave the unit trashed/damaged,
• Say the appliances are theirs, a possibility since other upgrades were made
• Be difficult in the inspection/touring

Any insight is appreciated!