If you've got a problem tenant, the best course of action is to go through with an eviction.
There are many perks to owning a rental property, but having to evict a tenant isn't one of them. Not only can it be awkward but chances are, if you're at the point of eviction, you've gone through a lot with this problematic tenant to get there. You'll want to get them off your property as soon as possible, but you have to do it the right way.
In this post, we're going to discuss evictions and how to oversee one so that it goes as smoothly as possible. As long as you follow this guide, you'll get your property back in no time.
Build Your Case
Before you serve your eviction notice to the tenant, you'll want to make sure that you have proof they're not the model tenant you thought they'd be. The best way to ensure this is to keep a paper trail of everything leading up until now when you're at the point of evicting the tenant.
Use email and text instead of phone calls when dealing with the tenant. If the authorities have been called to the property, obtain copies of the reports and always take pictures of any obvious damage to the property. Keep everything on a hard drive for when you decide to pull the trigger on an eviction
Understand Laws
Make sure that you understand the eviction laws and understand what not to do as a landlord. The last thing you want to do is hurt your case should the eviction end up in court.
For instance, don't change the locks before the eviction lockout date and don't do anything rash like removing the tenant's possessions from the unit. Basically, don't take matters into your own hands; let the process run its course.
Serve Your Notice
When you're ready, serve your eviction notice. Make sure it's in writing and that it complies with your state's eviction requirements. You'll have to give the tenant a "cure" period, which allows them to rectify the situation or move out of the rental unit.
You can either send the eviction notice by mail or drop by the unit yourself and post it on the door.
Take It To Court (If You Have To)
If the cure period goes by with no change, you'll need to take your eviction and file it with the local court. Some courts will allow you to do this online, but most will require in-person visits.
The court hearing is where all of the case building you did earlier - accumulating documents and proof of the violation of your rental agreement - will come in handy. Assuming all goes well and there aren't any appeals, you'll be able to schedule a lockout date whereby the tenant will be literally locked out of the unit.
Avoid Bad Tenants
Few property owners enjoy dealing with evictions, which is why hiring a property manager is always a good idea. Not only will they do the work to get rid of bad tenants for you, but a good property manager will handle the tenant search so that you never end up with an evictable tenant again.
At Wolfnest, we take property management to a completely new level. We offer an all-encompassing property management experience, helping match property owners with great tenants, giving quality maintenance to all properties, performing rent collection and general accounting, as well as all other logistical duties that come with running a property.
Visit our site today to learn more about what we do and contact us to talk about how we can improve your property.
