Tenant Moving Out Temporarily, Having Cousins Move In

[Austin Cai]

Hi BP,

I'm a first time landlord so I wanted to get your guys feedback and advice on this. Basically, this tenant has been living in the unit for over a year now and have been consistent with their rents. They mentioned that they want to move out at the end of this month and relocate to another state for 6 months, after which they will move back (supposedly). In the meantime, they said their cousin's family will live there while they are away. The first thing I asked was if the new family was able to pay the current rent while they are staying there. 

I'm wondering if I should do a background or employment check on this new family and have them sign a new lease. In fact, I'm not sure what my options are. What happens if this new family is unable to pay the rent or decide to leave after 3 months? How should I go about this process? Thanks in advance! 

Best,

Austin