In general, new landlords must honor the lease terms. However, there are some situations where you can evict an existing tenant. First, you can evict the tenant if they are not abiding by the terms of the lease, such as not paying their rent each month.
It’s also possible to place terms in your purchase contract requiring the current owner to terminate the lease before the close of the sale. They could rely on the terms of the lease that allow them to do so or offer them an incentive to leave. Finally, some states allow for owner move-in evictions, which allow property owners to recover possession of a home occupied by tenants if they plan to live there.