Short Term Leases, Six Month Leases: Houston Texas

Our MLS has over 60k properties listed at any one point in time. The lease market in and around Houston has been red hot for a few years now. It's been increasingly common for perspective tenants seeking month to month, 3 month or 6 month leases.

Unfortunately the inventory for such requests is practically non-existent. Especially for month-to-month or 3 month leases. You're lucky to find a handful of properties available in our entire MLS that are promoted as a 6 month lease. Calling on 12 month leases to see if they'll take six usually happens without success. Even if a Landlord were to provide a 6 month lease (reduction in revenue) they'd almost always require a higher lease payment, say from $1,200 to $1,400 a month.

A homeowner doesn't want to lose income for 6 of the 12 months. Despite what many people think, Houston Landlords aren't begging for tenants. In fact, the mkt is so hot that Landlords can typically pick and choose from the best applicants. Many of the lease properties I call on have multiple applications pending. The best properties can have 5-10 applications in the mix.

The more you're willing to spend, the higher the probability you can find a 6 month lease. If you have big dogs.. you can hang it up. They'll take someone without the large pups. Remember, this is a Landlords market, not a tenants.

That said, they're thousand and thousands of lease homes available. Persistence pays off. Every day new listings come on the market with new Landlords. Anything could happen. If you need a 6 monther start looking early and be patient.

Landlords in the Houston area typically do not negotiate down on the price unless you sign a multiple year lease agreement. Again, this is a Landlords market. Somebody else will definitley come along and pay the price if you don't. If you see something you like LEASE IT. If you need to go home and sleep on it for days on in, then you can expect someone else will jump all over it. You will miss out.

Tenants never pay for a security deposit and last month's rent. They pay for a security deposit and FIRST month's rent. Aggressive dog's are amost NEVER leased with because of insurance & liability purposes. If you have Pitt-bulls or other dog's that make the list then you might as well look for rural property or those without an HOA. Not very many homeownera are going to believe that they are well tamed and sweet... even if they are.

Birds, fish and pet worms are considered pets. If it's allive and poops, it's a pet. A pet addendum and possible deposit will be required. Most Landlords do not allow subletting. Lease to purchase is extremely UNCOMMON in the Houston mkt. If you seek a lease to purchase you need a counseling session as to why. By the time you here the good, the bad and the ugly I can just about guarantee you'll have an "OH, WOW" moment. You'll be looking for a lease without that other idea.

If you need to  move quickly search for VACANT leases. Don't expect the "Lister" to give you the combo to the lock box, it's against the rules and we can lose our license for it.

Most Landlords will not upgrade, perform a list of repairs or do any repainting for a tenant. Remember, this is a Landlords mkt. If you're paying 3k and up... the game changes. 5k and up .. it's a different ball game completely. We leased a 7k a month lease not to long ago to a professional athlete. Accommodations can be made.. it just depends. Everything depends in this market. Everything.