Are you considering selling your rental property in Boise? The Idaho real estate market has been sizzling hot lately, making it a great time to consider selling. However, selling a rental property is entirely different than selling a traditional home, and you’ll need to consider your tenants throughout the process. If your current lease agreement is about to end, then selling a rental property should be pretty easy, but if you have several months left on the lease, you may have to wait until it expires if you’re hoping to sell without tenants. Below we’ll cover all you need to know about selling a rental property in Boise, Idaho, as well as the steps you should take and landlord and tenant’s rights so that you can have a successful home sale that results in a SOLD sign.
How To Sell Your Rental Property
Steps for Selling Your Rental Property in Boise
To start the process of selling a house with tenants in Boise, Idaho, you’ll need to follow these four steps.
Step 1: Determine The Terms of Your Lease
If your tenant has a month-to-month lease, you should easily be able to sell within a few months without your tenant still occupying the home. If you are in a fixed-term lease of a year, you will need to wait until the lease expires before selling the house or consider making a deal with the tenants still in it.
You should also check your lease agreement for an ‘early termination clause,’ or ‘in the case of a sale clause,’ you might be able to terminate the lease agreement legally before the rental contract expires. You’ll want to make sure to follow the terms laid out in the agreement, which usually indicate a 30 to 60-day notice in writing of the termination.
If you don’t have a sale clause or way to break the rental agreement, remember you can sell a rental property with tenants.
However, just don’t try to take matters into your own hands by using self-help measures to get your renters to leave. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing their personal belongings are big no-no’s and are not part of Idaho landlord rights.
Step 2: Let Your Tenants Know
Before you put the place on the market, it’s important to notify your renters even if you have bad tenants. It would be wise to inform them you’re planning on selling the home they are currently renting. You will also want to mention how you’ll be handling renovations and showings.
How to Notify Your Tenant with a Month-To-Month Lease
If your renter is on a month-to-month lease and you would like to sell without them living in the home, Idaho landlord and tenant laws require you to notify them 30-days in advance of terminating the lease agreement.
How to Notify Your Tenant with a Fixed-Term Lease of a Year
If the fixed-term lease is coming to an end, you must also give 30-days written notice of terminating the lease agreement. However, if you are selling the home with tenants, you should notify your renters that renovations will be made to the property and how you plan to contact them regarding showings. You can verbally tell them the details; however, it’s best to put everything in writing.
Step 3: Evaluate the Home for Repairs
Once you figure out your lease terms and if you’ll be selling with tenants or without, you need to evaluate the home for repairs. Currently, Idaho does not mandate minimum notice requirements for landlords to enter the property. However, as a courtesy, it would be best to give your tenants at least 24-hour notice before entering the house- which you will need to do before evaluating the property’s condition.
Hopefully, the house is in decent shape, and the renters haven’t destroyed the palace. When assessing the condition, you may want to hire a contractor or home inspector to walk through the home with you. They will give you a good idea of what needs to be done, replaced, or repaired before listing the property. You will just need to figure out a way to schedule the work to be done while your renters still live there.
What if You Don’t Want to Make Any Renovations?
If you would like to avoid putting any more time or money into repairs and fixing up the property, you can always contact a “We Buy Houses in Idaho” company. They buy rental properties and houses in as-is condition. So you won’t have to worry about making any repairs to the home when selling as-is or deal with the extra expenses of all the improvements. Find out more about selling a house as-is by clicking here.
Step 4: Decide On a Selling Strategy
After you notify the tenants and figure out renovations, you’ll need to decide how you will sell the rental house. Most people either list with a local realtor or sell by owner. Both have their advantages and disadvantages; both include costly commissions.
The True Cost of Selling a Rental Property
On average, hiring a realtor will cost 5-6% in commissions upon the sale of your property. Selling by owner will reduce the amount of a seller’s agent fee since you’ll be selling on your own, but it could cost you 2.5 to 3% in buyer’s agent fees.
That being said, an agent will handle most of the selling process; however, you will be in charge of the entire process if you sell by owner. To learn how to sell a house by owner, click here for more information.
How to Sell Your Home Fast
Unfortunately, neither selling strategy guarantees a fast property sale. So if you are saying, “I need to sell my house fast in Boise, Idaho,” you might want to consider selling to a cash home buyer instead. They don’t charge commission fees and can complete the closing process in as little as a week or longer if needed. That way, you can sell your rental home with confidence and avoid the extra cost that comes with selling a house.
Other Ways You Can Sell a Rental Property in Boise
There are some other options that you can look into regarding how to sell your house with tenants in Boise, Idaho. Below will cover some other strategies that you can use to sell your property successfully.
Wait For The Lease To End
If you’re not in a big hurry to sell your property with tenants, you can always wait for the rental agreement to expire. If there are only a few months left, you can still get started on repairs to get the home ready to list. Or if the real estate market suddenly sees a downturn or you’re heading into the worst time of year to sell a home, waiting may not be a bad idea. However, if you’re saying, “I need to sell my house fast in Boise”, then waiting for the rental agreement to expire might not be a good option.
Informing Tenants of Desire to Sell
As mentioned above, informing your tenants of your desire to sell is important for this whole process to run smoothly. Giving them a heads up will help them prepare to move and find another place to live if they’re nearing the end of the lease. However, if they have a few months left, you can always see if they would be willing to move out for a price, otherwise known as cash for keys. Once you inform your tenants of your desire to sell, see if you could work something out for them to move out early- it doesn’t hurt to ask. Some landlords have offered to pay moving expenses, first months rent at another comparable place in the area, or the security deposit. Just remember to offer what you can afford and to get the new arrangement in writing.
Sell to Your Tenants
Another option is to offer to sell the property to your tenants. They already live there and are familiar with the home; you never know they may have fallen in love with the place. It doesn’t hurt to ask if they’d like to buy it; however, they may not be financially prepared to purchase the property. So if you need to sell the rental property fast, you might have to look for another buyer.
Selling Your Rental Property to Investors
If you’re not sure how to sell your house with tenants in Boise, Idaho, you can always sell to a property investor instead. Gem State Cash Offer is an investor who purchases homes and rental properties in Idaho and would be able to help.
They have a simple 3-step home buying process that includes buying homes in as-is condition, no agent commissions, and even purchasing properties with tenants. Gem State Cash Offer is one of the best home buying companies in Boise, Idaho, and can make you a cash offer within 24-hours and close within 7-days.
People are finding out that working with a local property investor like Gem State Cash Offer will make the entire process hassle-free and less costly since you’re not paying for expensive repairs and realtor fees. If you need to sell your house fast in the Idaho area. Consider working with a cash home buyer like Gem State Cash Offer.
Renters Rights When Selling Your Property
Before you get too excited about selling your rental property, you’ll want to make sure you follow the laws when selling a rental home in Boise. Upholding your renter’s rights is extremely important. By following the rental agreement and Boise rental rights, you should be able to easily sell your home without getting into legal trouble. However, it’s crucial to seek a landlord and tenant lawyer’s advice before officially selling the home.
Termination and Eviction Rules in Boise, Idaho
If you terminate the rental agreement, make sure to follow the exact protocol noted in the lease. If it says you’ll give a 60-day notice in writing prior to terminating the lease, you need to do that and not write a quick email.
In Boise, Idaho, Eviction Rules are a bit different and are warranted when a tenant has substantially damaged the property, violated a lease clause, is dealing in drugs, and/or failed to pay rent. The eviction process includes giving your tenant written notices of eviction, specific time frames, and court appearances. Just remember, the court is the one who can legally evict a tenant with reasonable cause, and the sheriff is the only one who can physically remove the tenant and their belongings. It is crucial to follow the exact process to evict your tenant legally.
Required Disclosures and Notes to Renters
Don’t forget as the landlord, you must disclose and note certain things, including the property’s new owner. When the home changes ownership, you should disclose who the new owner is, where to make future rental payments, and note that the security deposit has been transferred to the new landlord.
Breaking a Lease in Boise: Tenant’s Rights
Don’t forget throughout this entire process, your tenant has rights when it comes to you breaking the lease. A lease agreement is a binding document and, if broken, may result in legal consequences. So make sure if you intend to break the lease that your rental contract has terms surrounding early termination and that you get legal advice from a Boise lawyer before.
Final Takeaways
By now, you’ve probably realized that selling a house with tenants will not be the easiest task. But regardless of how you go about selling the property, you’ll still need to notify your tenant and make sure to follow Idaho landlord and tenant laws. If you do end up selling with tenants, just be prepared to have a smaller pool of prospective buyers when they know renters come with the place. Or, you can always sell the home with tenants to Gem State Cash Offer instead.