Existing Tenant Lease Agreement

[Aaron Steinfeld]

Hi all,

I inherited a tenant that is underpaying, but it's worth it for me to keep her for the time being. She is month to month, so I can ask her to leave when I want. (hopefully soon)

Is it a bad idea to just keep her old lease agreement with the previous landlord and just add a Change in Terms of Lease Addendum to it, especially since I am gonna ask her to leave in a few months?

If yes is there anything specific I should make sure to have in writing?

Thank you!

[Mike McCarthy]

@Aaron Steinfeld unless the old lease is bad in some way, there’s not a whole lot of reason to change it.

I’d just inform the tenant in a letter of how to submit new rent payments, who to call with problems, and state that the existing lease signed xx/XX/XX remains in effect. No need to even get their signature.

Of course, some leases are written horribly, in which case it might be worthwhile to update. But if they are only staying a few months, it’s not like a new lease is going to change any bad behaviors.