Legal question re. not renewing lease with tenant. - Posted by Andrew Smith (Phila)

Posted by Kristin on January 14, 1999 at 11:31:22:

Andrew,

Check your lease agreement. Unless there is an automatic renewal in the lease (it’s doubtful that you used one)you have the right to terminate at the end of the lease, without explaining your reason.

Make sure that you send a notice the full 30 days prior to the end of the lease (certified, return receipt) telling the tenant that you will not be renewing his lease.

If he asks why, you aren’t required to tell him, but if you feel uncomfortable saying “just because” tell him you have an interested buyer, or whatever. If he ever contacted you later, and said “hey, you didn’t sell that property”, just tell him that’s the nature of the business. Deals fall through sometimes.

Good LUck,

Kristin

Legal question re. not renewing lease with tenant. - Posted by Andrew Smith (Phila)

Posted by Andrew Smith (Phila) on January 14, 1999 at 10:53:01:

I have a tenant who I don’t like and who has scared away one of my good tenants in a mult-unit property. The bad tenant pays on time and keeps the unit okay but the tenant is just plain weird. Although he is married he volunteered to help a single, attractive tenant fix her door. That sounds nice - but it wasn’t. It was the way he offered and how he offered that made the single woman very uncomfortable. He also said some other things to her that made her feel unsafe (again - it wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it). She was so nervous that she broke her lease and moved out. My partner and I really liked the woman and we are very sad to lose her as a tenant. She only told us why she was breaking her lease on the promise that we would not say anything to the bad tenant (she will still be in the area and doesn’t want to need to worry about him any more). The bad tenant’s lease is up in a few months. If I provide the proper notice that I will not be willing to renew the lease do I have to give any explanation if they want one? Could they have any action against me for not renewing their lease or for my not being willing to rent to them with out explaining why when they have not technically violated the terms of our lease?