[USER]

I am currently house hunting and also have my current lease up for renewal starting August. I will prefer month to month renewal.

But landlord will prefer 12 month standard lease with me responsible for rent until he finds a replacement.

He is concerned that if I leave in Sept-March, it will be difficult to find a replacement. I have been a great tenant for him for 4 years with on time payment, 2-3% rent increase annually, taking good care of home, etc.

Looking for recommendations for some type of arrangement that is win win for both.

I don’t have to be responsible for whole year of lease ( willing to pay extra rent upto 1-2 months) and he still reduces risk of losing too much rent due to delay in renting as peak summer season is over.

Any renters or landlords have recommendations?

This is in Houston, $2200 rent currently for 1850 sqft home in a good popular community)

[Bill]

You could offer month to month with a 90 day termination period. You’ll have more than 30 days between finding a house and actually being able to move in, so it’s really only 1-2 months at risk for you.

And he would have 90 days to look for a tenant. Obviously, he doesn’t have to accept.

Or you could offer to be month to month and then pay an additional 2 months as a fee for that arrangement.

If he finds a tenant quicker, he gets double rent for a month.

[Haseeba]

Houston landlord. Had a tenant ending a lease in June. I camt give him a month to month because it will be a terrible time to find a new tenant.

I offered him till March with no rent increase.

If it had been an April ending lease I would have e offered a 60 day extension with his option to leave early with a 30 day notice.

[Jakki]

We offer a one-year lease or a month and a half of rent per month for any tenant not wanting to sign a one-year lease.

We require 30 days notice to vacate and access to show once notice is given.

[Scott]

I’m not clear what is problem with Sep-March but taking that as a given…why not see if he will accept say a 6 or 7 month extension to the end of March?

You could add a bit ($50-100)to the monthly payment as an incentive and it gets him out of the slower time zone and you have a somewhat shorter lease.

You could also do the 60-90 notice period as Rick suggested above.

[Rick]

What is the incentive for the landlord? To not simply say thank you, the lease will end at its current term, and I will replace you.

That may sound harsh but it is not from the landlord’s perspective.

One possible way to create a buffer for the landlords concern is to write into a potential extension is a) 60 or 90 day notice to term by you and b) ability for landlord/agent to show the house anytime during the post notice period.

Effectively, you are giving the landlord alot of opportunity to fill the vacancy which is the landlords risk.

But again, this is a buffer to his risk but not in any way an incentive to not replace you at end of current term.

He could still chose to do that and I don’t think many other landlords would blame him for doing that.

[Author]

Posts