Pretty sure I know the hive mind answer but maybe not. Just an exercise in decision making;

Qualified tenant (EMS worker) signs lease in October 2020 which ends September 2021 (new unit, so it came on at a weird time.)

In January 2021, she informs us she has to break her lease to help out with Covid over in another city (about 5 hours from here.) We find a new tenant, no money lost, no big deal, full return of her security deposit.

Now she just texted me, wants to come back to another unit we have coming open next month. She is already living back in the area with someone I am pretty sure.

I sent her back to our Preview Questions to get started, but...

Would you rent to her again? I'm thinking no...but then again, I always say if someone works with me to re-rent a place, we can all part friends...which she did. BUT that doesn't mean I'd rent to them again, right?

She was only officially in the place from end of October to sometime in January, and really, we are not sure she ever fully moved in! So she took care of the place, yes.

I had 2x the rent in Security Deposit on her, so I did not charge an ELT. I rented the darn thing in like a week while she was still there. No lost rent at all. And I raised the rent $25 to boot.

Well that ends that. She filled out my preview questions, now she is living with her mom & dad and they have a Yorkie. I have never met a Yorkie who 1) is house-broken and 2) doesn't yip and bark when alone (or even with people.)

I see the decision has been made already, but to answer the original question, it would depend entirely upon whether or not I verified that she was being transferred for her job because of Covid, and not just moving to help take care of her parents ... which might be since possibly she moved them back with her or because she had a new boyfriend and Covid was just the excuse.

For me, if a tenant came back a few months later, the chances of me having a vacancy are about nil.

Even though you already have the answer, going forward I suggest you establish a policy and enforce it consistently.

Do you currently have an ELT? If yes, then it needs to be charged. If you pick and choose whose reason it "good enough" for not charging an ELT, then you have opened a door to being accused of discrimination. Granted, you might never have to defend your actions, and even if you do you might be able to successfully defend them, but in the end it's simpler and--might I add--more "fair" to follow the rules for everyone.

I try to think of all the reasons someone might break a lease, and there are probably 2,356 "good" reasons and 14,590 "not good" reasons. Having to judge all of those? Ugh! I got a headache just making up those numbers. Make a policy and "steady as she goes". My guess is she got compensated out the whazoo for moving elsewhere to fight Covid. Hospitals were paying $20,000-$40,000 bonuses in some areas to get nursing staff and doctors to relocate. The ELT is a pittance by way of comparison, and the bonus is not only a "thanks for coming" but also to help defray the expenses of moving, one of which is terminating a lease early.

Another way to look at it is this: if she had owned her home and decided to move, she would've had to sell it or pay someone else to look after it for awhile, thus paying a realtor or house sitting fee. Same difference as an ELT, though the ELT is probably cheaper.

My answer would be 'yes' if I knew that she truly was relocated due to covid. Are you sure she didn't just move in with a boyfriend and it hasn't worked out?

She was single, in a loft studio apartment, no pets.

I had a couple move out after 3 months, they were on a mtm lease. They even found friends (that screened well ) to move in the day they moved out, so I didn't lose any money. They were leaving the area for a job.

About a year later they applied for another place I have. I turned them down, "due to the length of previous tenancy."

Sounds like a B rental? Based on what you said, I'd consider it, especially if you can get 2x security. She would need a letter of employment to show job security. Only other hitch is the dog even if it's not hers or will be visiting.

W.

As of your first posting, I’d rent to her again. She followed the rules and is working.

3 with pets is a different story but Ok for the right place.

We’re currently approving 1.5 out of 20 apps. The gooduns are buying, not renting.

BRAD