The process of evicting tenants is stressful for landlords. It is not as simple as it sounds either. There are many factors to consider before landlords could even think about kicking out a tenant. They need to think about the impact of it financially because the main reason for getting into this business, after all, is to earn an income. If there’s no tenant, there’s no income.
Residential rental agents are not directly responsible for this, but it is still valuable that you know the ins and outs. The system of eviction is a little tedious, and a step-by-step process is followed. First, the landlord has to have a legal justification for evicting a tenant. He also has to give notice to the tenant and allow them to resolve the problems.
Aside from being knowledgeable on the process, you have to be aware of the do’s and don’ts when evicting tenants. If your landlord can go through the eviction with minimal speedbumps, the sooner you can start filling in the vacancy. You can then utilize Padleads to create property listings and have it syndicated to other web pages. That way, you’ll have more applicants to choose from and find good renters. If you succeed, the landlord won’t have to experience evicting a tenant for a while.
Don’ts:
If you know any landlords planning to evict their tenants, remind them that there is a correct way of doing things. Being acquainted with state laws is also a big help. Here are the things the landlords should not do:
• Do not turn off the utilities in the property. The tenants can file complaints against the landlord if he does this, and that will only add to his problems.
• Do not keep your tenants out of their homes by changing the locks.
• Do not threaten or harass your tenant to make them feel unsafe that they will leave the property. The landlord may have to face legal charges by doing so.
• Do not discard or remove the tenant’s belongings from the unit. The landlord does not own any of these. Therefore, he does not have the right to touch any of it.
Remind them to do it the legal way and not on their terms because it might backfire. Doing these things can only result in worse problems for the landlord.
The Dos and Don’ts in communicating the eviction to tenants:
One of the best practices all landlords should adopt is complete documentation. Even you should practice this. All communications with the tenants should have a record. Make sure that everything is written because a verbal exchange is not enough.
The recorded document must be complete and concise. Teach your landlords to communicate professionally and avoid showing emotions. The situation itself is stressful, and showing aggression will only add to the stress.
If the landlord documents everything, he can use it as proof that he took great lengths to remind the tenant and give several chances for them to settle the problem. A record of the conversation will also show that the tenant is fully aware of the situation so they will not be able to claim that they were uninformed.
Keeping the complete documents will help during the eviction once the landlord has won the case. For example, the tenant will refuse to leave despite the court-issued order that they should vacate the property. The landlord should avoid taking things into his own hands and call the local authorities.
Landlords can only hope that they will not have to go through an eviction with their tenants. But sometimes, with delinquent tenants, it is the only way.