How did you help a tenant who fell behind?

Question

Times are getting tough again for a lot of tenants, and I keep thinking about how many good people are one missed paycheck away from an eviction notice. During the pandemic my team reached out to over a dozen organizations and filed every bit of the paperwork for our owners, and together we brought in over $1M in rent assistance. Watching my staff pull that off was honestly one of the proudest things I've seen in this business. It kept families in their homes and kept owners whole, and far fewer had to go to court.

So I'd love to hear from you all. When a tenant fell behind, what did you do that actually worked? Did you find funding from somewhere most landlords never think of, set up a payment plan that stuck, or something else entirely? Please keep it kind, because harsh replies don't really help anyone, and most folks who fall behind aren't bad people. They just hit a rough patch. Your answer might save a tenancy for someone reading this today.....

Randy, Bunklow

BJ Everson · Answer

Good thread. One thing I'd add from the owner's side: most emergency rent programs move only as fast as the landlord's paperwork. Have a W-9, the current lease, and a clean tenant ledger ready to send the same day the tenant applies. Answer the program's verification calls quickly too, because delays there are what turn a one-month problem into a three-month one.

On the plan itself, keep current rent separate from the catch-up amount, with specific dates, and set a catch-up amount the tenant can actually pay. A smaller plan they keep beats a bigger one they miss. Before you accept any partial payment after a notice has been served, check with a local attorney on how your state treats it.

Early, written, and realistic has kept a lot more tenancies intact than waiting does.

Chris Seveney · Answer

are you a landlord or a charity. If you are a landlord then its not your job to assist them, you have a contract. If you give your painter a contract to paint a house, do you say its ok when he cannot pay for his materials becuase he used material for somewhere else and paint it yourself?

Matthew Morrow · Answer

@Randy Schell what's worked best for me is talking early and putting it in writing. If a payment is late, I want a real conversation in the first few days, not after it builds. Any catch-up plan goes on paper with dates, and I keep the ledger current so we're both looking at the same numbers. Some of my tenants are on assistance programs, and tracking what the program pays versus what the tenant owes has headed off a lot of confusion.

James Wise · Answer

you don't. you evict them.

Clever Mukori · Answer

Randy, one thing I'd add to the early call and the written plan: check your state's rules on partial payments before you accept one. In some states, taking a partial payment after a notice has gone out can reset or waive that notice, so the plan should be a signed addendum that spells out the amounts, the dates and what happens if a payment is missed. On the funding side, pointing the tenant to 211 is an easy first step, since it connects them to local rent help, utility help and charities that most landlords never hear about. And keep the ledger simple, with each payment-plan installment shown separately from the current month's rent, so both of you can see the balance going down.

Diana Khan · Answer

@Randy Schell, I really like your approach. I think working with tenants early, before things get worse, can make a big difference. A realistic payment plan can help, especially when the tenant is willing to communicate. I'd also make sure everyone understands what was agreed to and what happens if the payments aren't made.

I'm a real estate attorney and investor based in Maryland, and I work with landlords on leases, rent disputes, and eviction matters. I've seen how important it is to look at the situation carefully before deciding on the next step. Sometimes there's room to work things out, but it's also important to protect the landlord's rights and follow the proper legal process.

I appreciate you sharing this, @Randy Schell! Helping tenants stay in their homes while making sure owners receive their rent is something worth talking about. Happy to stay connected!

Diana Khan · Answer

@Randy Schell, I really like your approach. I think working with tenants early, before things get worse, can make a big difference. A realistic payment plan can help, especially when the tenant is willing to communicate. I'd also make sure everyone understands what was agreed to and what happens if the payments aren't made.

I'm a real estate attorney and investor based in Maryland, and I work with landlords on leases, rent disputes, and eviction matters. I've seen how important it is to look at the situation carefully before deciding on the next step. Sometimes there's room to work things out, but it's also important to protect the landlord's rights and follow the proper legal process.

I appreciate you sharing this, @Randy Schell! Helping tenants stay in their homes while making sure owners receive their rent is something worth talking about. Happy to stay connected!

Daniel Jung · Answer

What has worked best for us is calling early, before the balance grows, and asking one simple question: what changed? Often it is a lost shift, a car repair, or a late paycheck, and the tenant already feels ashamed. Shame makes people hide, and hiding makes the problem worse.

From there we put a short plan in writing. Not a vague promise, but clear amounts on clear dates, with rent for the next month kept separate so they are not always catching up. We also ask permission to help them look for local assistance, and we make the calls together if they want that help.

The key is kindness with a boundary. We will work hard with someone who communicates and follows the plan. If the calls stop, the plan has to change.

How did you help a tenant who fell behind?

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