Delinquent tenants are everywhere. If the landlord is fortunate enough, he will not have to deal with this kind of tenant. However, there is always a possibility. Some tenants will start by projecting a good image but will gradually turn rotten over time.
If the landlord does encounter a delinquent tenant who refuses to change their attitude and bad habits, sometimes the only logical action to take is eviction. But let me tell you, most of them will not give up that easily. Some tenants are experts in delaying the process of eviction. They will do anything to make the landlord change his mind.
I know this is usually the landlord’s problem, but rental agents like you can relate to this as well. This can help you spot red flags in tenants who have the potential to be delinquent in the future. You would want to recommend only the good ones, right? Finding interested tenants may be easy when you’re using Padleads. After all, Padleads lets you post property listings and even allows you to syndicate them to other websites. However, you still need to be able to weed out potentially delinquent renters from the pool of applicants. You can do this by conducting a thorough screening process which includes knowing their rental history, interviewing them, checking their credit standing and financial status, and asking their previous landlords how they were as tenants.
What are the strategies of delinquent tenants to delay being evicted?
• Asking for an extension
The most common violation of tenants is delaying payments or not paying rent at all. The first thing a tenant will do is ask to extend the deadline for payment or paying only a partial amount in the meantime.
This technique will involve a depressing story to try and get the landlord’s sympathy. However, feeling sorry for them will not help the landlord at all. It will only prolong the problem. The landlord has to remember that his business will not thrive if he tolerates late payments and delinquent tenants.
• Beg in court
If the renter is unable to convince the landlord, the next person he will try to ask for a chance is the judge. They can write a letter requesting to ask for more time and state the reasons why they are unable to resolve the problem. They can also do it in person during the court hearings. Some attempts may lead to the judge asking the landlord to work things out with the tenant, which will delay the eviction.
• Bankruptcy
A tenant can also delay the proceedings by filing for bankruptcy. This will stop the landlord from asking for payment. It will eventually continue but with the permission of a judge or bankruptcy trustee. Delinquent tenants will terminate the filing after it has worked in their favor.
• Respond to the complaint
The tenant will not immediately agree with the complaint filed against him. He will try to look for reasons why a landlord should not demand rental payment. This action will include complaining about the living conditions in the property to justify the delay in payments. The tenant will also try to deny the claims.
The landlord should make sure that he has supporting documents to prove that the tenant violated the lease agreement. This will help during the court hearings.
• Keep on continuing the hearing
Another strategy of these tenants is continuing the hearing. They will present several reasons such as needing more time, they need to look for a lawyer, or they have medical conditions that hinder them from attending.
The landlord should push through with going to the hearing and should not agree with the delay unless the tenant can provide sufficient evidence to back up their reason.
• Violating the property
The tenant might choose to dismiss the complaint and stay in the property for as long as possible. It is expected that a tenant on the brink of losing their home will want to get revenge on the landlord, which will provoke them to damage the property. They might purposely leave trash behind and take a few things.
As mentioned earlier, these tenants can be avoided by doing a thorough screening. There are many red flags to watch out for, and I’m sure you know all of them. Your job as a leasing agent can contribute a lot to a landlord’s success. Always keep that in mind.