New lease when buying a tenant occupied rental?

[Ryan Nodurft]

I just bought a Duplex and at the closing the Agent said I had to provide the tenants with a new lease. I researched this before, and thought that the current lease would be in effect till the end date. What do I have to do?

It's in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

[Jake Culler]

Yes I would make a new lease unless the current lease is sufficient. Then you could just copy that lease and have your name/signature on it. 

I bought a fourplex last year and kept the same lease and just used the same terms and my signature/name. I didn’t notice there was not a rule against no smoking and had to smell cigarettes through the wall until her lease expired.