Transitioning from Old Tenant to New Tenant

By E-Renter Tenant Screening
Posted on October 26, 2009 under Landlord Tips | Be the First to Comment

It’s a good idea to prepare for losing a tenant before the lease is actually up. Go to your file cabinet and pull the tenant’s file for review. Make sure you have all the necessary paperwork in order, including any notices required if you do not wish to renew the lease. Or, if the tenant has informed you that they will not be renewing, then start preparing for your new tenant.

Plan for at least a one- to two-week window between tenants. Some landlords have rented units out before the previous tenant has moved—which can be a recipe for disaster! You have no control over when or whether a tenant will actually vacate your property. What will you do if the new tenant tries to move in, and the old one refuses to leave?

In this between-tenant time frame, you will be busy! Schedule the final walk-through and move out inspection with the old tenant for immediately after they have moved their belongings out and the unit is completely empty. You don’t want to be in the position where the tenant has moved away and cannot make it back for the move out inspection. Both parties should take part in this process together, to avoid distrust or false accusations of damages.

Once the move-out inspection is over, you can quickly assess damages and plan for any repairs, repainting, or replacing of fixtures, flooring, and walls. A thorough cleaning, pest inspection and treatment, and carpet cleaning can be scheduled at this time.

At this stage, you’ll know how much time you’ll need before you can put a new tenant in the unit. If you haven’t lined up a new tenant, increase your advertising and word-of-mouth efforts to speed up the process.

You can show the rental property while repairs and cleaning are being done; emphasize to potential tenants that the unit will be 100% habitable before they move in.