Tenants leaving 7 weeks into a 6 month lease

[crashy]

I have a tenant who signed a 6 month lease 7 weeks ago and has today notified me that she wants to leave because her new partner, his kids and her kids don't have enough room. We suspected she was dishonest when doing initial inspection and just wanted a stepping stone while her divorce was being finalised until she could buy a new place. She was also dishonest about pets (she has a dog) and how many people would be living there.
She is currently (10pm at night) packing the car. I live next door.

I have informed her that she can break the lease if she pays for the new listing and pays rent until the new tenant starts. She seems to think that finding a new tenant will be easy. This is a brand new house AND we live next door, so our criteria is strict, thus unlikely to find a new tenant in a hurry.

So if her rent doesn't go in tomorrow, what do I do?
I know what is supposed to happen. But that doesn't mean it will

[Bob Kane]

I'd let her go and have the place empty while you find another tenant.
Others would fight it out with her and run the risk of having the place damaged.
That's too risky for a new house.

[Perry]

Agree with Bob. Cut your losses.

Missing those rents payments is hard. Going through what you describe does not seem much better. Also . . .

Next time, go with your instinct and don't get caught again.

I.e. If you think that applicant is not being 'straight' with you, cross that one off the list.

[donna]

^^ agree. Plus you've got her bond - so can't you keep that?

cheers,

Donna

[Keys]

Let her go, apply for termination due to abandonment and get her in the system for other landlords to see.

Do your bit for the collective.

[crashy]

System? Do tell....

[Perry]

Keys refers to the person's name appearing in the on-line accessible TT decisions.

[crashy]

I can't see any link on the website that allows a search?

[artemis]

Try putting 'abandonment' into the keyword search box. Try searching on the tenant names as well in case there is a history.

https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/TT/

[BigWal_v2]

System? Do tell....

In addition to the TT, you can upload details of bad tenants to TINZ which can then be researched by other members. Details recorded can be more extensive than those recorded in a TT.

You have to be a member of TINZ, and have to have the right clauses in your TA to do so. They provide you with the clauses needed in your TA to allow this.

[crashy]

Update:
Tenant ended up paying rent up until the new tenant took over, and was very happy in the end.
There was a few carpet stains which she gladly took care of with professionals.
There was a bit of damage to one of the ceilings and I offered her the chance to pay 50% of the cost out of her own pocket rather than out of bond (which would make future tenancies difficult) and she happily paid 50%

[Davo36]

Update:
Tenant ended up paying rent up until the new tenant took over, and was very happy in the end.
There was a few carpet stains which she gladly took care of with professionals.
There was a bit of damage to one of the ceilings and I offered her the chance to pay 50% of the cost out of her own pocket rather than out of bond (which would make future tenancies difficult) and she happily paid 50%

Nice one, well done.

[FJW]

Also make sure you advertise the house and pick your tenants yourself, don't leave it to the tenant to choose as it sounds like you'll have more care with it than they do and get the trade me costs up front....

[Learning]

FJW, an expert at jumping in 2 months after the fact. Is that a good representation of usual business practice?

[FJW]

Serve a 14 day notice under s.56 and apply for the tribunal for a money order....you don't want her tenancy terminated until you find a new tenant