New tenant would like early access, how to proceed?

Question

Deanna McCormick · Answer

Why not just do an adjusted move in date and give her concession of 3 days free for ease of entry if it's vacant.. Start electric the day she gets keys and let her know you expect the same cooperation if she ever moves out.   A week Free is overboard.. she should pay for that..

Mike Cumbie · Answer

Hi @Anthony Barbato,

Is she fully current with the payments to you? If she has paid for July and all security etc and wanted access a few days early, I would say why not. The place is sitting vacant. Now if she has not paid yet, that is a completely different animal. Allowing her to move stuff in essentially gives her residence there and if she pays nothing further you will be dealing with an eviction.

Just my 2 cents

Account Closed · Answer

I agree with Mike above.  In addition to that, is the utilities in their name on the day they plan to move their furniture in?  If so, then I too, see why not.

Nancy Neville

Jennifer T. · Answer

I frequently allow tenants to move-in a few days early, if the apartment is vacant AND they have paid everything due.  Including the first month's rent.  It's no skin off my nose.  I get the first month's rent early (usually I've already collected the SD).  And it's some goodwill because the tenants are happy to have a few "free" days to move from their last place into their new place.

JD Martin · Answer

We allow a couple of days early on a vacant property *provided* utilities have been switched to the tenant's name and everything due is paid in full. No access to property without full payments (whatever they are - deposit + first/last, pet, whatever) and utilities transferred. Anything greater than 5 days is prorated, even on a vacant unit.

Alexander Zurn · Answer

@Anthony Barbato I think you being there for the tenant to move in furniture would be the smart thing to do.

1. You can confirm this is what she is doing

2. You can offer a hand and get your landlord-tenant relationship started on the right foot

This will also allow you to keep an eye on everything coming in to the place and possibly give you peace of mind by seeing how organized/unorganized, clean/dirty the tenant might be based on her planning and furniture.

Maybe confirm with the Tenant that you will be there to unlock and lend a hand but I only see good coming from it

Good luck!

Account Closed · Answer

Speaking from the renter's perspective, my current landlord allowed us to move things in slowly maybe 1.5 weeks prior to the start of the month. We paid for water and electricity use during that time, but he didn't charge us additional rent. It started the relationship off on a great foot.

Tanya F. · Answer

Why not? If they're all paid, and it's only a few days, as others have said, then we certainly would allow this. And as others have said, too, if they want a week early, then a modest charge would be appropriate.

If you will still be working on the place - painting, cleaning, shampooing carpets, then that'd be the only reason we would say no. But even that would depend on what they wanted to move in, and what kind of work we had planned for that time.

Sort of the opposite of what you're asking...we have made arrangements with tenants leaving- they wanted some flexibility in the move-out date because they were buying a house, and had unforseen delays in their closing date (last June). Since we had already found new tenants for the first of July, we needed to get access to the house in late June. We thought we'd have two weeks to work on the house- but had less time because of their closing delay. They paid for the full month. We made a deal with them, we would start our painting and maintenance immediately after they moved their large items out (that gave us enough space to do our work), and we let them take their time moving their smaller items and doing their move-out cleaning. It all worked out and we had a day or two left over.  Communication is key.

Karen Sanders · Answer

I have had landlords that allowed me to move in boxes but no furniture. I then got to move small things and my closets before the furniture came in.

New tenant would like early access, how to proceed?

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