inheriting tenants

[Zach C.]

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of buying a Triplex to house hack. I'm inheriting two tenants and I was curious if anybody had any suggestions on what I must do. I know eventually I can raise rents and restructure things here and there, I'm just curious if there's anything that has to be done, inheriting tenants that already have leases. Appreciate
 the help.

[Brie Schmidt]

Originally posted by @Zach C.:

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in the process of buying a Triplex to house hack. I'm inheriting two tenants and I was curious if anybody had any suggestions on what I must do. I know eventually I can raise rents and restructure things here and there, I'm just curious if there's anything that has to be done, inheriting tenants that already have leases. Appreciate
 the help.

 You must uphold their current lease, so if it is an annual one that goes on for awhile there is really nothing you can do until the lease ends.  So I would take this time getting to know the tenants and determining if they are the kind of people you want to keep.

I also use this time to do upgrades if I am planning on doing a big increase.  Since you can't raise their rents now, they are usually happy to give you access for free upgrades.  Then when the lease ends you have a fixed up unit that will rent for more and will take less of a vacancy doing the repairs after they move 

[Bryan O.]

@Zach C. after you close is the time to go introduce yourself and go over the lease with them as a refresher. Check on any deficiencies that the old landlord may have "forgot" and present yourself as a professional doing a good job. This will be the tone moving forward. This reassures good tenants and sets the stage for the less than good to let them know you will be following the lease regardless of what was done before your ownership.

[Andrew Ashby]

I'm closing on a duplex at the end of the month and it's half occupied. I'll be renovating the vacant side and leasing it out with a non-smoking policy for Section 8. The occupied side is a Section 8 smoker whose lease does not prohibit smoking. What, if anything, can I do about their smoking other than simply not renew their lease?

[Patti Robertson]

I wouldn't worry about it.  You don't have to not renew their lease.  I find most smokers are perfectly OK agreeing to smoke outside. Assuming they are good tenants otherwise, I would offer to paint the inside of their unit in exchange for a 2-3 year renewal, but make a condition that they will smoke outside from this point forward.