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.
Every term like this one lights up in the step you're on.
Free to set up. No credit card.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
One piece of your sale. Here is where all the pieces live.
In your room, this word explains itself where it appears.
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