Should I evict this tenant at the end of my lease?

[Rob Myers]

I have a tenant in a SFH with a lease ending July 31. Rent has been paid late about 75% of the time and is pretty consistent around the 15th vs the 1st. My PM will send a 5 day notice and rent usually shows up on day 5. The tenant is current, but hasn't paid any late fees over the term of the lease.

My gut says this tenant has to go and that I need to send a 30 day notice first thing next week, but am I overlooking something?

[Marcia Maynard]

You are overlooking something! Your PM has allowed this tenant to break the rules and disregard the terms of the rental agreement over time. You have not been holding your PM accountable.

I suggest you find someone to work for you who approaches contract violations politely, swiftly, firmly, and fairly. There may be more to the story than what your PM is telling you. Before taking away the home of a tenant because of poor management, I would attempt to reestablish the terms of the rental agreement and your relationship with the tenant. If you are not confident that you can turn this around and save the tenancy, then change to a month-to-month rental agreement for now, so you will have more flexibility if things go south. Have you or your PM seen the inside of the unit? Do you do regular inspections? Do you have a strong rental agreement that is clearly communicated and easy for tenants to read, understand, and follow? Start there.