Tenant in studio basment apartment wants to add boyfriend

Real Estate Agent · Asheville · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 7 votes

Hi,

House hacker here. I've got a tenant who wants to add her boyfriend to basement studio apt. It is currently only her on the lease. I am not opposed to allowing him to move in down there, however want to protect myself as the land lord. My question is, what is the best way to go about adding a tenant to an already established lease? My first thought is to have him fill out a Zillow application (to better understand him as a tenant) then make an addendum to the lease that maintains the primary tenants responsibility however allows the boyfriend to stay there. Ideally, making her responsible for him. What are the thoughts?

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Bill Crow

Investor · Lewisville, TX · Member since 2012 · 106 posts · 103 votes

@Will Morrison

I would vet him just like any other new tenant and add him to the lease as an additional tenant. He needs to be fully responsible - the idea of making her responsible for him sets you and them up for some real problems if their relationship sours. On the flip side, if you don’t treat him as a tenant in every sense of the word, you may not have rights to protect your property (such as eviction) if he becomes a problem.

To summarize, he should be “all in” or “all out”, nothing in between.

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Nathan Harden
Real Estate Agent · Puyallup, WA · Member since 2022 · 551 posts · 379 votes
3y
This is a great question honestly. Curious to hear what others have to say about this.
If it was me, I would definitely try and add him to the lease. You never know what could happen so I think it's always better to be safe rather than sorry. And on a brighter note, at least the current tenant approached you and asked for permission rather than just sneaking him in and you finding out later on.
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Garrett Bradshaw
Member since 2022 · 11 posts · 4 votes
3y
when one of our tenants wanted the same thing, (due to inherited lease the significant other was able to stay 23 nights out of a month. They had originally worked out of town, but were not one the lease). We had to wait for the renewal process before we could add them, but we were looking at the option of background check then an addendum.
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Bill Crow
Investor · Lewisville, TX · Member since 2012 · 106 posts · 103 votes
3y
@Will Morrison
I would vet him just like any other new tenant and add him to the lease as an additional tenant. He needs to be fully responsible - the idea of making her responsible for him sets you and them up for some real problems if their relationship sours. On the flip side, if you don’t treat him as a tenant in every sense of the word, you may not have rights to protect your property (such as eviction) if he becomes a problem.
To summarize, he should be “all in” or “all out”, nothing in between.
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Will Morrison
OP
Real Estate Agent · Asheville · Member since 2021 · 9 posts · 7 votes
3y
Thanks all for the suggestions. I've decided to vet him with the same Zillow application (to make sure he is safe to live with) and add an addendum to the lease allowing him to stay there as a tenant fully responsible for the lease, having the same responsibilities as our primary tenant. It actually is kind of a good thing because it gives us a reason to make rent more competitive due to added wear and tear and higher utility costs.
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Ryan ThomsonBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
@Will Morrison I would take him through the entire process and then have them both sign new leases with both of their names on it. I would also make him pay rent.
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