Methods of Evicting Non-Paying Tenants

I just had a discussion about evicting non-paying tenants.  I would love to hear other’s experiences here, but here is my preferred method of handling non-paying tenants.

I believe that people generally want to do what’s right (and don’t get me wrong, not all people do).  Having said that, there are many circumstances that put people in situations to do things they would not normally do, and usually those circumstances have to deal with money and/or personal relationships.  If someone is in a situation where they need to chose which bills are the most important to pay, they will automatically default to the basic human needs food, clothing, and believe it or not, yes they will generally pay for shelter too.  So if your tenant is not paying rent anymore it is likely they are in a much worse situation than just not paying rent.  When people get in a desperate situation they take desperate measures, and if they feel like the landlord is not sensitive at all to their situation along with all the rest of the world (true or not it is how they feel), they will often times be very difficult, and the eviction will rarely end up in a good situation for the landlord.  There will be extensive repairs, and several months of unpaid rent, not to mention the time needed to repair the property.

I do take a hardnosed approach when they move in so I can set expectations up front letting them know I expect rent to be paid and paid on time.  When I have had a tenant that paid fine for a while then all of a sudden not so much anymore, I need to question what is really going on (see the previous paragraph).  Once I determine that a tenant will not be able to pay their rent; Instead of immediately taking the hardnosed and costly approach first I will offer them a cash payment toward their next deposit as long as they move out by the end of the month, and they leave the place in good order.  This will appeal to their financial situation as well as make them believe you at least sympathize with their situation.

Offering a tenant $400 towards their next deposit to move out seems ridiculous at first, until you go through the standard eviction process to get your property back.  After you get it back it ends up costing $4000.

And don’t get me wrong here, I know each situation is different, and there are certainly times that an eviction is in order.  The point I want to make is that you should consider the situation and determine the best method of getting a tenant to leave your property.

Brandon Gadish

Landlord Technology LLC