One of the things most landlords dread is an eviction. No one wants to evict a tenant; it means you lose money, face a vacancy, and stumble upon potential property damage once the tenant is finally removed. If you want to avoid an eviction, there are a few things you can do to manage a tenant who isn’t paying rent or following the terms of your lease.
Eviction Prevention: Tenant Screening and Low Eviction Rates
The best way to avoid eviction is by screening your tenants well. A screening process that’s thorough, consistent, and detailed will help you really get to know the person who is applying to live in your property. By checking for past evictions, looking through credit reports for landlord judgments, and talking to current and former landlords, you should be able to get a good sense about whether the applicant will pay rent on time and take care of your property. Ask in-depth questions when you talk to former landlords. Find out what the property looked like after the tenancy, whether they gave enough notice that they were leaving, and if they ever paid late. Your screening process has to be more than just a generic background check. Do some digging.
Eviction Prevention: Communicate with Tenants
When you have a respectful, professional relationship with your tenants, there shouldn’t be any reason to evict them. Eviction usually indicates a complete breakdown of communication between landlords and tenants. If a tenant is going to be late with rent one month, make sure they’re comfortable letting you know. Charge a late fee and put something in writing if a payment arrangement has been requested. Bad things happen to good tenants. So, even if you’ve done a great job screening – your tenant might lose a job or get divorced and no longer be able to pay the rent. If this happens, discuss a reasonable move-out date so that you don’t have to go to court and evict them. Keep the lines of communication open at all times.
Eviction Prevention: Work with a Professional
If you really want to find and keep great tenants and never have to worry about eviction, work with a professional Birmingham property management company. Professional property managers know how to protect you against the risk that can come with a bad tenants. If a tenant stops paying rent or violates the lease, your property manager will have a process in place to address and correct the situation.
Evictions can be expensive and time consuming, and as a landlord who is interested in maximizing your ROI, you want to avoid them. For additional advice or help with any of your Birmingham rental properties, please contact us at Decas Group.
