Here's the fact that shapes everything: in Texas, the lease survives the sale. Whoever buys your rental in Arlington inherits your tenant, your lease terms, and your security deposit obligations. Everything else follows from that.
Wait out the lease, then list. Cleanest retail outcome, slowest calendar. You carry the property until the lease ends, turn it over (paint, floors, make-ready — figure several thousand), then sell vacant to the widest buyer pool. Works when the lease is short and the tenant leaves gracefully.
List it occupied on the retail market. Legally fine, practically brutal. Showings depend on a tenant with zero incentive to stage their home, keep it spotless, or leave for an hour on Saturdays. Retail buyers want to move in, not inherit a lease — so occupied listings sit, then discount.
Negotiate an early move-out. "Cash for keys" isn't shady; done respectfully it's the adult version of everyone getting what they want. A month's rent or so in exchange for a signed agreement and a firm date often costs less than two extra months of carrying and cancelled showings. Get it in writing.
Sell to an investor with the tenant in place. This flips your biggest liability into the selling point. A paying tenant is income from day one for an investor buyer — no vacancy, no make-ready, no leasing fee. For a decent house in Denton with a reliable tenant at market rent, an investor may pay close to what you'd net going retail, without the tenant ever being disturbed. Transfer the deposit properly at closing and notify the tenant of the new owner; your title company handles the mechanics.
If you're reading this because the rental has become a second job — the 2 a.m. water heater calls, the make-ready that ate a year of cash flow — run the honest numbers on what the property actually earns after repairs, vacancy, and your weekends. We wrote up that math here. Sometimes the answer is keep it. Often, for accidental landlords especially, it's not.
Don't try to push a tenant out improperly to make the house easier to sell — Texas has real penalties for lockouts and utility shut-offs, and a wrongful-eviction problem is worth more to a tenant's lawyer than your equity is to you. And don't hide the lease terms from a buyer; the lease conveys, and surprises unwind closings.
We buy DFW rentals with tenants in place — lease, deposit, and all.
This article is general information for Texas property owners, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Laws change and facts matter — consult your own attorney, CPA, or advisor about your situation. Any offer examples are illustrations, not commitments.