Unfortunately, many landlords have had to deal with a bad tenant at one time or another. It can make your job very difficult and in fact, can cause a lot of stress to you and any of your employees that have to deal with tenants that are difficult. Sometimes it can be late rent, no rent, destroying property, or someone who constantly complains about everything you do as a landlord. Of course, there are ways you can deal with these tenants to make life easier for yourself by having a few effective management techniques and skills.
Make Sure You Have Access To A Legal Resource
Anytime you are dealing with rental property, you need to make sure you have fast access to a legal resource if you are unfortunate enough to get a bad tenant. By having an attorney or solicitor, you have all your legal dealings dealt with in a timely manner and you do not have to wonder if you are following the law, since the lawyer will have everything in place to make sure that your legal affairs are in proper order. Shop around for a lawyer that specialises in real estate you will be able to find one that has a reasonable price structure.
Often, a letter from a lawyer to a bad tenant can quickly turn things around and it doesn’t need to be that expensive. In the event you have a tenant that has not paid their rent and you have to go through with an eviction, you have your legal resource in place to draw up the papers.
Overdue Rent
This is a problem for many landlords at some time or other, but occasionally you get one bad tenant that either often does not pay the rent on time or fails to pay it at all. Make sure you have prepared reminder notices for occasions when rent is late and the relevant eviction notices if you need to go down that path.
Your legal options vary from place to place and for the sake of spending a bit of money on a lawyer it can save you thousands and a lot of grief.
Damage To Your Property
You, as a landlord may have the right to evict a bad tenant if he or she damages your property. For instance, if your tenant decided to knock down a wall in their apartment or rental home, this is potential grounds for eviction, plus you could sue them for damages. Although you have to weigh up the costs against what you may or may not get back.
Even if you are confident that the tenant has caused damage to your property you can’t just wander in and check it out. You have to have a valid reason for entering the property and you must let your tenant know in advance before entering the property.
Although these occurrences may be rare you need to protect your interests by having an inspection clause in the lease so that you can legally gain access.
Illegal Activities
In very rare cases you may have a bad tenant that is using the property for illegal activities such as growing or selling drugs. If you have reliable information that this is the case then contact the police, don’t go to the property and make accusations. If the police confirm there are illegal activities being carried out by your tenant you can then initiate the eviction process assuming you have an appropriate clause in your lease.
You should include a clause in your lease that permits termination of the lease if the tenant is carrying out illegal activities in or at your property. It’s a clause that you may never need to use but you want to make sure it is there.
Final Thoughts
It is unfortunate that many landlords will come across a bad tenant at some point in the life of their property investment business, but, you must always deal with the situation professionally and legally. There is no question that you will be the loser if you fail to comply with the real estate / tenancy laws in your location.
