Identify every occupant
Do not assume tenant, guest, relative, manager, or vacancy status from a distance.
For heirs who inherited an occupied property
Inherited tenants? Protect the household before changing the property.
Confirm who lives there, find the lease and deposit, address urgent repairs, and verify who has authority to manage, rent, or sell.
Free No account or contact information Private on this device
Who made this site?
Bexar County Home Buyers, a private home-buying company. The tools are free and do not send us your answers. Discussing a possible purchase is a separate choice.
Start here
Which situation sounds most like yours?
You do not need to know the professional term. Choose the closest statement.
The basics
Do the right work in a clear order.
Find the rental file
Gather lease, renewals, deposit, payment ledger, notices, requests, inspections, and contacts.
Protect health and safety
Urgent repair and essential-service duties continue while heirs decide what to do.
Confirm authority
Probate, representative powers, deed records, and heirship control who may act.
Build a real cash-flow view
Count actual rent, vacancy, taxes, insurance, repairs, management, utilities, and reserves.
Compare lawful paths
Consider stabilize, manage, sell occupied, or plan a future vacancy without using ownership change as an eviction shortcut.
Free tool
You inherited a house—and may have inherited landlord duties.
Protect the occupant first, find the records, and confirm authority before changing payments, access, or the lease.
Next steps
One thing at a time.
What to do
- Provide a verifiable contact.
- Address urgent health and safety requests.
- Do not change locks, payments, or terms casually.
What to do
- Find lease, deposit, payments, and repair history.
- Confirm estate and title authority.
- Inspect with proper notice and access.
What to do
- Calculate a normal rental year.
- Compare management and sale paths.
- Handle deposits, notices, records, and disclosures correctly.
Official sources
Go to the agency responsible.
Rules and accounts change. These links open the official source.
Safety comes first.
Call 911 for fire, gas, violence, medical danger, or immediate threat. Respond promptly to sewage, flooding, loss of essential service, structural, electrical, fire, and security problems using qualified help.
Common questions
Clear answers to get started.
Confirm dates, rights, and requirements with the responsible agency or qualified professional.
Does the lease end when the owner dies?
Do not assume so. Death or transfer does not automatically erase a lease, tenant rights, deposits, or duties.
Who receives rent now?
Confirm the authorized estate or property representative and provide verifiable written instructions before changing payment.
Can heirs enter the property?
Ownership questions do not erase privacy and access rules. Use proper notice, consent, and case-specific guidance.
Can the house be sold with tenants?
Possibly, but lease terms, deposits, repairs, access, notices, disclosures, title, and the buyer’s plan matter.
What if a relative occupies it without a lease?
Do not improvise removal or lockout. Document facts, confirm authority, and obtain guidance for the actual occupancy arrangement.
Next step
Protect the tenant. Confirm authority. Then compare the property paths.
Use the free tool first. If you later want to discuss selling the property in its current condition, that conversation is optional and separate.