Experience-Based Tips to Avoid An Eviction as a Landlord (Part 1)
As a landlord, tenant eviction is one of the worst experiences you can go through.
Despite doing your best to ensure that all tenants pay rent on time, circumstances occasionally arise in which they don’t. This experience can be incredibly stressful and complicated for landlords, often leaving them with financial losses or legal battles to deal with.
However, there are certain measures you can take that will help you avoid evictions when possible. Drawing from our experiences as landlords and property managers, we’d like to share some key tips so other landlords can prevent similar issues.
Let’s Break It Down
There’s a lot you can do as a landlord to help prevent evictions before they start. After all, prevention is better than a cure!
Here are our quick tips:
Communicate With Your Tenant Often
Before anything else, our first wall of defense is communication. It’s important to encourage and maintain open communication channels with your tenants. From questions about rent payments to concerns about appliances, you want to be the first person they turn to when help is needed. On the flip side, you also want to be able to contact them when necessary.
By keeping the lines of communication open, you can provide guidance and support that benefits your tenants and helps you maintain a positive and respectful relationship with them. So whether it’s a quick text message or a scheduled check-in, take the time to communicate with your tenants often and be aware of what’s going on at your property.
Seek Legal Advice If Necessary
Sometimes things may get out of hand. While it’s often tempting to handle tricky situations independently, seeking legal advice is highly recommended when dealing with complicated issues.
Whether you’re facing a confusing legal document, navigating a “verbal contract”, or dealing with an unexpected legal dispute, a qualified attorney can help you understand your legal rights and obligations. This way, you can work towards a solution that protects your interests.
While they may come with a cost, in many cases, legal fees are a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’re making the best decisions for your situation. So if you’re unsure what your legal options are, don’t hesitate to contact a lawyer who can help guide you through the process.
Make Sure to Collect Rent on Time Each Month and Document All Payments
As a landlord, collecting rent on time each month is crucial to maintaining a successful rental property. Not only does this ensure a steady stream of income, but it also allows you to keep track of any late payments or discrepancies in a tenant’s payment history.
It’s important to communicate clearly with your tenants about rent expectations and due dates and to document all payments received. This documentation can come in handy if a dispute should arise in the future. By staying organized and on top of rent collection, you can create a smooth and stress-free rental experience for both yourself and your tenants.
Develop a Payment Plan for Tenants Who Are Unable to Pay the Rent
Renting a home or apartment is a significant expense, and circumstances can often arise that make it challenging for tenants to make their payments. That’s where a payment plan can make all the difference.
Rather than resorting to eviction right away, landlords can work with financially struggling tenants to devise a reasonable payment plan. This allows tenants to remain in their homes and catch up on any overdue rent without incurring additional fees or penalties.
Again, document everything! In writing!
With a well-documented payment plan, landlords could avoid the hassle and expense of going through eviction and finding a new tenant. By developing a payment plan for tenants in arrears on their rent, both parties can benefit and remain in good standing with one another. Unfortunately, this won’t always be successful, but the point is to give your tenant ONE chance to catch up.
If they fall through on the payments, start eviction proceedings ASAP.
Do Everything You Can as a Landlord First
The experience of being a landlord comes with its unique difficulties. Tenant eviction is undoubtedly right at the top of that list.
That’s why it’s important to create open and honest communication channels between tenant and landlord, have legal channels ready if necessary, and document everything.
Although, even if you do everything right, tenants don’t always cooperate. What’s the best way around that? Amazing tenant screening.
Want our team with 20+ years of experience to handle tenant screening, rent payments, and evictions for you? Contact us to find out why we’re the best property management company in Metro Detroit (in our opinion 😉 ).