Rental Property Investor · Prince George's County, MD · Member since 2022 · 177 posts · 187 votes
3y
I sympathize with what you're going through, here are my suggestions:
1. Perform a Google search for "eviction attorney" or "landlord/tenant lawyer" in your area. Read their reviews to help make your selection. 2. "Cash for Keys" is a common strategy for getting tenants out; you simply offer them $$ to turn over the keys/move out. 3. Tenants should always provide proof of insurance prior to taking possession of the rental, no exceptions. You should make this clear in your advertisements, and as a condition of the lease, making it a requirement to show proof prior to signing. 4. Tighten-up your screening parameters: always check background/court records, do an eviction check/landlord judgement filings, verify income (set a minimum income requirement), check credit (set a minimum credit score). 5. Use this experience as a learning tool to avoid attracting this caliber of tenant again (screen! screen! screen! Set HIGH standards! And be willing to wait for the right tenant, versus who comes along first). There are many horror stories on this platform told by landlords who were anxious to rent, versus waiting for the right tenant, and they regretted it. 6. Perform routine inspections, include this in the lease.
Rental Property Investor · Durham, NC · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
I also sympathize with you, @Taylor Dove. I haven't had an eviction for a while and it's never fun to go through it. But in NC it can be relatively quick for a landlord.
The short answer is NO way to force a tenant to leave without going through the legal eviction process. I know a lot of legal aid groups are providing services to help tenants stall legal evictions, but I haven't heard any first hand experience with that process.
You can offer your tenant money to move out. Pick a date (one week to however long you want to provide), write a document saying the tenant will move out by DATE and will receive AMOUNT from you after they complete the move out and return the keys. Have them sign that document and hope they move out by the agreed upon date.
It might seem uncomfortable paying someone to leave when they owe you money, but if they agree, you might end up getting possession of your property several weeks sooner than eviction. If the tenants don't agree, file to evict.