We recently closed on a 6-plex and are living in one of the units.  We acquired 5 tenants. I was given 30 day notice by a tenant who is on a month to month lease the other day via text message.  I called the tenant and told them I would need written notice. The tenant has yet to give me written notice and has not paid this months rent.  I told her she would still need to pay for the full month of rent and the tenant told me today that she is not planning on paying until the 18th.  I told her she would be liable for the late charges if she waited until the 18th.  Is this worth even messing with or should I just file eviction and get them out?  In the county I am in (Jackson County, Missouri) an evection takes 45-55 days best case scenario.  Anyone have any helpful insight?

Originally posted by @Anna Maher :

We recently closed on a 6-plex and are living in one of the units.  We acquired 5 tenants. I was given 30 day notice by a tenant who is on a month to month lease the other day via text message.  I called the tenant and told them I would need written notice. The tenant has yet to give me written notice and has not paid this months rent.  I told her she would still need to pay for the full month of rent and the tenant told me today that she is not planning on paying until the 18th.  I told her she would be liable for the late charges if she waited until the 18th.  Is this worth even messing with or should I just file eviction and get them out?  In the county I am in (Jackson County, Missouri) an evection takes 45-55 days best case scenario.  Anyone have any helpful insight?

 I would probably file now.  If they pay and/or move quickly enough, you can always stop the eviction.  You'll lose the eviction filing costs, but you'll have a head start on the process in case they don't pay on the 18th and don't move out at the end of the month.  

BTW, if they do pay and/or (agree to) move, don't stop the court eviction process until they actually move out.  Otherwise, you might lose some unnecessary time.  It doesn't sound like they're good tenants anyway.

I would post a pay or quite notice to start the process.  The main goal is to get them out.  Forget about the money they owe you, just try to get them to leave as soon as you can.  

I agree with the others - and best of luck.

But I’m curious: if they told you via text why did you insist on writing? Folks these days (esp, the “kids”) don’t have printers and hate all things analog. If they said they were leaving - great - I would have planned to renovate and re-rent - and as soon as they didn’t pay that last month in time issued a 3-day and started the eviction process.

You should accept the text as written notice. It's in writing and you received it. Asking them to put it on a piece of paper serves no purpose.

Charge late fees like you would any other renter. Start the eviction like you would any other. It may scare them into paying rent but likely not. What you don't want is for them to not pay rent and stay in the home beyond the move-out date. That would put you a month behind schedule. If they pay, you can always stop the process.

I'd get the eviction started simply to cover you if the don't pay and don't leave. If they don't leave you'll need the eviction to get them out. If they do leave it may not be worth pursuing and just cancel the eviction.

You always begin the eviction process the day rent is late. This is because when rent is paid you can stop it, but if rent is not paid and you wait 15-30 days before you begin, then you lose 15-30 days of rent more than you have to. In the interest of operating professionally, you send notice the day rent is late.