Tenants block/refuse to leave

[Elsa Hsu]

Hi BP everyone,

Looking for advice from experienced Ohio landlords. I own a duplex where both tenants haven’t paid rent for 5 months. I trusted them too much and they ghosted me and blocked both me and my property manager on Hemlane. 

I posted a 3-day move-out Pay or Quit notice on Sept 24, followed by an expedited eviction notice. Now, the notice already expired and no one respond. After that:

• Upper tenant said he’ll pay the $5,000 owed on Oct 23 but refuses to leave.
• Lower tenant messaged on Hemlane asking to stay until Oct 13, with no mention of rent.

I’m worried eviction could take 4–6 months, and I don’t think they’ll pay. I’m considering offering $500 cash-for-keys to get them out quickly and avoid further losses.

Questions:

1. Anyone here done cash-for-keys in Ohio? How did you handle it safely and legally?
2. Can I send someone to exchange cash for keys and check the unit for trash or damage?
3. Any better options before starting the eviction process?

Thanks in advance. Learning this in a hard way and want to make it right! 

[Dan H.]

I never do cash for keys. I do not desire to reward tenants for poor behavior.

I explain the consequences of an eviction to the tenant. I explain they will have difficulty Renting a quality unit, that I will ding their credit, that I will attempt to garnish their future income to recover what they owe. They believe I will do what I state because I have always done what I told them I would do.

My market has a low vacancy rate. Poor tenants cannot obtain quality housing. My tenant requirements includes no evictions, ever. No excuses accepted

So far with a combination of good screening and good luck, I have never needed to evict a tenant.

When the time comes to evict our first tenant, I will hire the best lawyer and let the expert take care of it. I will add the cost of the eviction to what tenant owes, and if the cost is not recovered I will consider it a cost of doing business.

What I will not do is pay a bad tenant to leave so that another landlord gets stuck with having to deal with a bad tenant that I have rewarded for their poor behavior.

In addition if I paid a tenant to $crew me, it may cause me to lose sleep. Sleep is precious. I would rather not pay the tenant, pay a lawyer, lose some rent but not lose one wink of sleep allowing the bad tenant to get money from me.

Do not do cash for keys.

Good luck