Inheriting Old Tenants vs Finding your Own Tenants?

[Caleb Stevens]

I am currently in the closing process of purchasing a future house hack with one unit being vacant and the other unit having a tenant on a month-to-month lease. I plan on living in the vacant unit and renting out the other. The seller has mentioned the current tenants pay on time, and I am in the process of getting their rent rolls to make what the seller said was accurate.

Now the question remains: is it better to keep a paying, inherited tenant in your unit OR find your own tenant through proper screening?

Originally, my plan was to have the seller give the tenant a 60 days notice and just find our own new, freshly screened tenants (as BP recommended) BUT upon hearing that they are willing to stay and are well-paying tenants (which can be hard to find in this market), I figured they can sign a new month-to-month lease and after a few months sign a year long lease if we both okay with living next to each other. We have had a poor experience with inheriting tenants in the on our other rentals but is a well-paying, inherited tent > finding your own tenant?

Thanks!

[Nathan Gesner]

It's difficult to trust anything the Seller tells you. They may have lower standards. They may outright lie just to entice you to purchase. 

My preference would be to have the Seller remove the tenants so you can buy it empty and start fresh.