What To Do When You No Longer Get Along With Your Tenant

Every landlord’s dream is to have a flawless rental experience where a tenant always pays the rent on time, takes excellent care of the property, is great at communicating, and is friendly. But, sometimes, that is not the case and they get stuck with a tenant they can no longer collaborate with.

When this happens, it’s good to have an idea of what to do. Keep reading to find out our tips!

How to get bad tenants to pay rent on time

It should be no surprise to anyone that late or non-payers make the top of the list of problematic tenants. These late payments, no payments, or partial payments can wreak havoc on a landlord’s financial well-being. And the worst part is that no matter how hard you try, chances are, you may still come across late payments now and then. According to these Honolulu property managers there are certain things you can do to deal with this, for example:

• Rigid policies: Leases need to spell out precisely what the procedure for rent payments is and the consequences of late payments. Advise the tenant that this is a strict policy you intend to set in stone.

• Create reminders: If your lease has a built-in grace period, take into consideration an automated rent reminder dedicated to those tenants that tend to miss the due date.

• No special treatment: Regardless of the situation, all tenants must be held to the same standard and guidelines written in the lease agreement. So, make this clear from the start, as this will help you avoid some of the pleadings or negotiating attempts often made by tenants.

How to deal with lawbreakers

Some individuals think they can get away with anything. Common ways that tenants break the law can range from the illegal selling or harboring of drugs to nuisance complaints from the neighbors.

If you find out a tenant on your property becomes illegally active, it is best to consult an attorney for advice, since, in many states, arrests do not change the tenant’s right to occupy the home. You can avoid this situation by following the tips below.

• Screening: Pre-screening applicants will reveal their prior criminal history. You need to evaluate this carefully in conjunction with other qualifications they have.

• Regular Inspections: Periodic inspections of the home may reveal signs of illegal activities or potential problems that you might be overlooking if not paying close attention.

How to handle subletting

Tenants who try to sublet the property or have many long-term guests coming in and out can create problems and be a liability for a landlord. If someone is on your property that is not on the signed agreement, that means the terms of the lease do not bind them. Here are a few ways to manage this type of issue.

• Inspections: Just as in the other example above, inspections can provide a plethora of information.

• Cover it in the lease agreement: You don’t want anyone in your home you have not personally vetted. Make this clear as part of the lease contract and keep the lines of communication open. If the tenant has circumstances that cause them to be away for an extended period, they need to be aware they cannot bring in someone else to take over for them.

• Guests are allowed: A tenant obviously has the right to have guests come over or even stay a few days. However, anyone planning to stay longer than that needs to be cleared with the landlord first.

Document everything

One of the best ways to avoid conflict with tenants is to keep written records and document everything. While doing this will increase your workload by a bit, it will also decrease the chances of a bad tenant trying to dispute a charge or something else with you.

Also, keep in mind that when inspecting the property, you don’t just want to keep a written record of your findings, you also need to take pictures and videos that feature a timestamp whenever possible. That way, no tenant can use their word against yours.

Ask them to vacate

When you have reached your breaking point, it is time to consider asking them to move out. While getting a problematic tenant to leave voluntarily might be difficult, it’s surely not impossible. Start by sending them a written notice to vacate.

Begin the eviction process

Evicting your tenant should be a last resort since the process can be costly. If you’re trying your best and see no improvement, it might be time to put your foot down and evict them. Contact your local Las Vegas property management company or lawyer and ask them to draw up an eviction notice for you to use.

Conclusion

Difficult and uncompliant tenants can make your job as a landlord tough. Most property owners face the hassle of dealing with them at some point, and it’s not the easiest thing to do. Fortunately, following the steps listed above can help you better deal with them.

However, some tenants are just impossible to deal with, no matter how much you go out of your way to please them. When that happens, it is in your best interest to let your property manager handle them for you. Just imagine all the free time you would gain, not to mention all the stress you would eliminate by having a skilled professional take over the situation.

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