Tenant
The person who rents the property from the landlord. State and local law grants tenants specific rights that a lease can't take away.
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Where this comes up: getting ready
Part 1 of 4
Why a seller cares
A tenant is the person the buyer of a rental inherits, with rights the sale cannot remove. How the tenant is treated during the listing decides whether the home is shown well or not at all.
Part 2 of 4
A simple example
Your tenant has four months left and is nervous about the sale. A conversation, a schedule and a modest rent credit turn them into a cooperative host.
| How the tenant is handled | What tends to follow |
|---|---|
| Told early, with a plan | A cooperative tenant and a showable home |
| Told by the sign in the yard | A tenant who resents every showing |
| Offered cash for keys | An empty home and a wider set of buyers, at a cost |
The tenant is part of the sale. Their cooperation is worth arranging.
Part 3 of 4
What people get wrong
That the tenant leaves when the home sells. They stay under their lease, with the buyer as their landlord.
Part 4 of 4 · where to read next
Where it appears in the sale
What a definition is, and what it isn't
Keighbor is a software company, not a law firm, brokerage, or tax adviser. This is general information, not legal, tax, financial, or real estate advice about your sale. Your situation may differ. Before acting on a contract, disclosure, title, tax, or pricing question, ask an appropriately licensed professional in your state.
Written and researched by Keighbor Research · drawn from the reference glossary · how we research and check what we publish
In your Room, this word explains itself where it appears.
Your Room defines tenant in the step you meet it in, beside the document or the date it belongs to. Free to set up, with an agent or on your own.
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