Learning how to sell a house is an art. It can be even more tricky if there is a tenant living in the house. Of course, you need the tenant to stay as a form of income. However, at the same time, you are taking over the house with a disruptive process. Read the below to understand how to sell a house with a tenant in it.
How to Sell a House with a Tenant in It: Be Polite
The best way to sell a house with a tenant in it is to communicate clearly with your tenant. Remember that while you have a right to list your home for sale, your tenant has a right to live. Treat your tenant like a human being and be as polite and as considerate as possible, even if he or she is a difficult tenant. Speak from a position of empathy and understanding. Even if the process is disruptive to the tenant’s routine, the tenant needs you to communicate the process. Give the tenant plenty of notice. If you do this, you should not have any problems.
How to Sell a House with a Tenant in It: Do Not Renew
It can be a little awkward to try and sell your house with a tenant in it. This is because your viewers can reschedule due to the tenant’s presence, or your tenant might actually be in the house during the viewing. The best way around this is to simply not renew the lease for a month while people are viewing. If you get a buyer who wants to move in within the month, you really need the house to be free. Selling, cleaning, moving furniture, and renovating a house is difficult enough without a tenant inside.
Use Incentives
Another way to sell a house with a tenant inside is to use incentives. Motivate your tenants to keep your house clean and neat, by using incentives. Aside from keeping the house absolutely free of tenants, this is the best way to sell your house.
Of course, you have other options. One option is to sell to investors; this way, you can actually sell your house with tenants inside. It is then the investor’s issue. Additionally, you can consider asking your tenants to move into another one of your rental properties. Whichever option you choose, remember that tenants are also human beings.
