Sell Your House with Tenants in Florida
No Evictions, No Repairs, No Hassle
The Truth About Selling a House with Tenants
If you’re Googling how to sell your house with tenants still inside, chances are you’re feeling stuck. And frustrated. Maybe even a little fed up.
Here’s the truth:
Yes, you can legally sell your property while it’s occupied.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
You might be facing:
Trying to list the property with an agent might feel impossible. Eviction might take months. And trying to DIY the sale (FSBO) while someone lives in the home? That’s a fast track to headaches.
You’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate this alone either.
At Sell My House For Cash Florida we have helped dozens of Florida landlords sell their house with tenants still inside—without violating leases or going through eviction court. This guide will show you your options, what the law allows, and how you can finally move on.
Can You Sell a Rental Property with Tenants in Florida?
Yes, you can legally sell a house in Florida even if tenants are still living in it—but the details depend on the type of lease and how you plan to sell.
Let’s break it down:
🏷️ If Your Tenants Are Month-to-Month:
You have more flexibility. In Florida, you typically only need to give 15 days' written notice to end a month-to-month tenancy before the next rental period begins.
You can:
- Give proper notice to vacate (if you want it empty before selling)
- Or sell with the tenant in place and let the new buyer take over
📄 If Your Tenants Have a Fixed-Term Lease:
You can still sell—but you’re selling the lease along with the house.
That means:
- The buyer must honor the lease until it ends
- You can’t force the tenant to move early
- Showings may require advanced notice, and tenants have a right to quiet enjoyment
This can limit your pool of buyers—especially retail buyers who want to live in the home right away. But many investors (like us) buy tenant-occupied homes all the time.
Want to skip the hassle? We’ll make an offer and close when you’re ready—even if the lease still has months to go.
👥 What About Difficult or Non-Paying Tenants?
Evictions take time—and many Florida landlords don’t want to go down that road. The good news? We often buy with problem tenants still inside.
We’ve worked with:
- Uncooperative renters who won’t allow showings
- Tenants behind on rent
- Occupants without a formal lease
We’ll evaluate the situation and let you know honestly if it’s something we can take on.
Bottom line:
You don’t have to wait for the lease to end or go to court. You just need to work with someone who knows how to handle tenant-occupied properties.
3 Ways to Sell a Tenant-Occupied Property
Pros and Cons...
If you’re thinking about selling your house but the tenant is still living there, you have three main options. Let’s break down the pros and cons of each:
1. List It With a Realtor
Best for: Properties in great shape, cooperative tenants, and no rush
PROS:
- You might get closer to full market value
- Realtors handle showings, offers, and paperwork
- Great if the tenant is willing to help or leave early
CONS:
- You’ll likely need to coordinate showings with tenants
- Buyer demand drops if the home isn’t vacant
- Repairs or cleanup may still be needed
- You’ll pay 5–6% in commissions
- Tenants may delay or sabotage the sale
Listing the house with tenants? First check what repairs are worth doing — and what’s not
2. Try FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
Best for: Landlords who are local, experienced, and patient
PROS:
- You save on agent commissions
- Full control over the sale
CONS:
- You handle: pricing, marketing, showings, offers
- Dealing with tenants makes FSBO especially hard
- Buyers may be nervous about tenant complications
- Legal missteps if violate tenants rights
If you're considering this route, start with our guide to selling a house without a realtor
3. Sell It As-Is to a Cash Buyer (Like Us)
Best for: Tired landlords, distant owners, or homes with problem tenants
PROS:
- No evictions required — we buy with tenants
- No cleaning or repairs needed
- No showings or walkthroughs
- Close in as little as 3–4 weeks
- No commissions or hidden fees
CONS:
- You may sell below retail value, but you trade that for speed, certainty, and zero drama
Want to understand how the numbers work? See how we calculate your cash offer
⚖️ Which Option Makes the Most Sense for You?
If your tenant is easy to work with, and the house is in great condition, listing may work. But if you're tired, stressed, or just want out—a direct, as-is cash sale is often the cleanest solution.
Still unsure? Contact us and we’ll walk through your options with no pressure.
Can You Sell With Tenants
Even If They’re Not Paying?
Yes, you can sell your house with tenants still inside—and in many cases, we’ll buy it exactly as-is, with the lease and renters in place.
But what if they’re not paying rent or refusing to leave?
That’s where most buyers walk away. But we’re not most buyers
🔑 Here's How We Handle Tenant-Occupied Sales:
⚠️ What If the Tenant Isn’t Paying or Refuses to Leave?
If your tenant is behind on rent or uncooperative, you still have options. In some cases, it may make sense to start the eviction process before closing.
In Florida, the process is relatively fast:
- You can begin with a 3-day notice to pay or vacate
- If they don’t comply, you can file for eviction
- In many cases, you can regain possession in 15 days or less
Because we typically close in 3–4 weeks, this timing often works
If you’re not ready to start that process, we may still buy the property—but we’ll need to adjust our offer to account for:
- Legal delays
- The risk of hidden property damage
- Limited access until the tenant is gone
In high-risk cases, we assume the home is in very poor condition and build in a buffer to protect against surprises after closing.
💵 Can You Just Pay the Tenant to Leave?
Yes—and it often works.
In situations where the tenant won’t move but hasn’t done anything legally wrong, we sometimes use a strategy called cash for keys. It’s exactly what it sounds like:
- We or the seller offer the tenant $500 to $1,000 to move out voluntarily
- The tenant uses the money to secure a new place
- You avoid the stress, time, and cost of going through the court system
It’s not guaranteed—but it’s often faster, cheaper, and more peaceful than eviction.
We can help coordinate this—or, if we buy the property, we’ll handle it ourselves.
We're here to give you honest answers—not pressure. If your tenant situation feels complicated or uncertain, we’ll help you sort it out and see if selling still makes sense.
Common Landlord Situations We Help With
No two tenant situations are alike—and trust us, we’ve seen it all.
If you’re wondering whether your rental is “too complicated” to sell, here are just a few of the landlord scenarios we’ve helped solve across Florida:
🧾 Lease Still Has Months Left
You’re stuck in a lease that isn’t ending anytime soon, and waiting it out isn’t part of your plan. We’ll honor the lease and take over where you left off.
⛔ Non-Paying Tenants
The rent has stopped coming in, and eviction sounds like more stress than it’s worth. We’ll walk you through your options—whether that means waiting out a quick eviction timeline or adjusting our offer to buy it as-is, tenant and all.
🚪 Tenant Refuses Showings or Won’t Cooperate
They won’t return your calls, won’t clean up, and definitely won’t let agents in. Sound familiar?
We see this all the time. Tenants often feel judged or pressured when traditional buyers or real estate agents come through. But with investors like Sell My House For Cash Florida, it’s a different story.
We’re not here to comment on the furniture or ask them to vacuum—we just need to assess the house. Many tenants are more comfortable with us because we’re direct, low-key, and we don’t care if the place is cluttered or worn down.
That said, we do need at least one inspection before closing so we can make a fair offer. And after the tenant moves out, we’ll do a final walk-through to ensure the property was left in the condition we agreed to.
We’ll coordinate respectfully and keep you out of the middle.
🧹 Property Is in Bad Shape
Outdated kitchen, peeling paint, busted HVAC, or just years of wear and tear? No problem. We’ve bought houses with water damage, mold, hoarding situations—you name it.
Not sure what you actually need to fix before selling? Read: What to Fix Before Selling a House
🛬 You Live Out of State
You’re managing tenants from another city—or another state—and you’re just done. We’ll handle everything remotely and close without you needing to come back to Florida.
👩⚖️ The Property Is in Probate or Shared Ownership
Maybe you inherited the rental with a sibling or it’s tied up in probate. We’ve worked with attorneys, personal representatives, and complicated title situations. You don’t need to sort it all out alone.
Learn more about Selling a House With Multiple Owners.
Bottom line: If you're feeling overwhelmed, burned out, or just tired of dealing with tenants, you don’t need to clean, wait, or fight.
We’ll help you sell—simply, legally, and on your terms.
Do You Need to Tell the Tenant You’re Selling?
Yes—you do. And it’s not just about being polite.
Florida law protects tenants, and that means you can’t sell the house behind their back or surprise them with new ownership.
But don’t worry—we’ll walk you through what’s required and how to handle it without creating conflict.
What You’re Required to Do in Florida:
- If the tenant is on a lease, you must disclose the lease terms to the buyer
- The tenant has the right to stay through the end of their lease
- You must give reasonable notice before showings or inspections
- When the home is sold, the buyer becomes the new landlord, and they must honor the lease
This means you can absolutely sell with the tenant in place, as long as everyone is informed and the lease is disclosed.
How We Handle It:
When you sell to us:
- We review the lease and factor it into the offer
- We communicate directly with the tenant so you don’t have to explain anything
- We often waive showings and do one quick walk-through with minimal disruption
- We send clear, respectful notices to the tenant so the sale doesn’t feel hostile or sneaky
Pro Tip: Honesty = Fewer Problems
In our experience, tenants are more cooperative when they’re told the truth. Most renters don’t mind that the property is being sold—what they fear is sudden change or getting kicked out.
That’s why we handle tenant communication carefully—and with full transparency. It protects you, keeps things smooth, and builds trust on all sides.
What Makes Us Different from Realtors and iBuyers
If you’ve tried to sell a rental property with tenants through an agent—or even looked into selling to an iBuyer—you already know: most of them want nothing to do with tenants.
And even when they do… they don’t make it easy.
Here’s how Sell My House For Cash Florida is different:
🏢 Realtors
- Want the house clean, staged, and vacant
- Require multiple showings and tenant cooperation
- Often scare tenants off by pushing for early move-outs
- Can’t promise a buyer won’t back out over the lease
- Charge 5–6% commission fees
Even if they’re great at listing homes, they’re rarely equipped to handle tenant-occupied properties—especially if the tenant won’t play nice.
🤖 iBuyers
🏡 What We Do Instead:
- We buy with tenants still in place—even difficult ones
- We’ve handled active leases, inherited rentals, and non-payers
- We only need a quick walkthrough, no clean-up or staging required
- We explain our offer math clearly—no pressure, no lowballing
- You pay zero commissions or fees
We don’t need your property to be perfect.
We just need honest info, basic access, and a seller who’s ready to move on.
Curious about your offer. Get a quote!
We Buy Tenant-Occupied Homes Across Florida
Whether your rental is in a major city or a smaller town, we’re ready to help.
Sell My House For Cash Florida buys tenant-occupied homes across the entire state of Florida—from Miami to Jacksonville, and Orlando to Pensacola. We regularly help landlords in places like Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Tallahassee too.
Even if your city isn’t listed here, chances are we’ve bought there—or somewhere nearby.
You don’t need to evict the tenant, clean up the house, or even live in the same zip code. We’ll handle everything so you can finally move on—without the headaches of managing another month of rent, repairs, or paperwork.
Tired of Dealing with Tenants?
You’ve Got Options
Selling with tenants isn’t easy—but it’s not the only hurdle you might be facing. Whether your rental needs repairs, you're co-owning with family, or just ready to walk away, these guides can help you move on with less stress and more clarity.
Need to exit fast? Learn how to sell your house quickly—even with tenants.
Don’t want to fix anything after the tenants leave? Here’s how to sell as-is with minimal effort.
Concerned about your bottom line? Here’s how much you might lose (or save) by selling as-is.
Want a clean exit from landlording? See the pros and cons of accepting a cash offer.
Own a rental and going through a divorce too? Here’s how to sell a house during divorce in Florida.
Need to sell your rental due to job relocating? Here's how to sell fast—even if your tenants in place.
Rental caught fire or badly damaged? Here's how to sell a fire-damaged house in Florida.
Dealing with water damage from leaks or tenant neglect, here’s how to sell it without making repairs.
Got property issues from long-term tenants? Learn how to sell a house with code violations.
Tenants left it rough? Here's how to sell a house in poor condition without repairs.
Should wait to renovate? Learn what not to fix before selling a tenant-occupied property.
Not sure if you should keep renting or sell? Compare your options: sell or rent it out.
Co-own a rental property? Here’s how to sell with multiple owners involved.
Alain Perez-Majul
Juan and Castilia are awesome! We were dealing with my parent's property here in Florida, and they went above and beyond when buying it from us. The process was quick and easy, we didn't have to do a thing to the house, and we closed within a couple of weeks. Thanks, guys!
Ready to Be Done With the Tenant Drama?
You became a landlord to build income—not to chase rent, stress over repairs, or argue with uncooperative tenants.
If you’re ready to move on, we’re here to help.
Whether your tenants are still paying or not… whether they’re cooperative or refusing to answer the door… you can still sell your house fast, legally, and without the stress.
Sell My House For Cash Florida buys tenant-occupied houses in as-is condition.
👉 Learn more about us and how we help Florida sellers.
Scroll down and fill out the form below to get started. There’s no pressure. No commitments. Just a real conversation with people who get it—and a fair offer if you’re ready.