You Buy the House, You Inherit the Tenants
When you buy a house that already has tenants inside, you don’t just buy the building, under the law you also buy the agreements attached to it. This is also known as convenant running with the land.
In the eyes of the law, you smoothly step into the shoes of the old landlord.
These are 3 Things a New Landlord Cannot Do:
1. You cannot say, "You are not my tenant."
The moment you pay for the house and take ownership, those tenants automatically become your tenants. You are completely bound by whatever agreement (written or oral) they had with the previous landlord. You cannot change the rules overnight.
2. You cannot force them out by "refunding" their rent.
If a tenant still has 6 months left on their rent, you cannot throw money at them, force a refund, and tell them to pack out.
3. You cannot destroy the house or lock them out for "renovations."
Trying to frustrate tenants out by removing the roof, locking the gates, or cutting off electricity in the name of "renovation" is completely illegal
If you want the tenants to leave, you must follow these exact legal steps:
Step 1: Serve them a proper notice to quit, Wait for their current rent to finish.
Step 2: Serve the 7-Day Notice. If their notice has expired and they still haven't moved, you must serve them a formal 7-Day Notice of Owner’s Intention to Apply to Court.
Step 3: Go to Court. If they still don't leave after those 7 days, you must file a case in court.
Step 4: Court Eviction. Only the court has the power to physically send court bailiffs to lock up the place and hand it back to you.
To get the tenants out, you must respect their unexpired time and follow the law step-by-step.
© Law Parlor