Do you have problems with a tenant not paying rent? It can be tough enough to profit from rental homes when you have to pay for landlord insurance, property taxes, and may even have a loan on the home that you have to pay. However, when a tenant can’t afford to pay rent any longer, you either have to negotiate with them or begin eviction proceedings.

Try To Negotiate First

If your tenant lost his job and just got a new one, he may need to wait another week or two for a paycheck. Similarly, it could be possible that he had an unexpected medical bill or lost time from work because of a sickness or accident. If your tenant can describe a reasonable excuse for being late on the rent, the easiest thing to do is to try to work with him to develop a plan to catch up.

Of course, the only way that you will know if your tenant is having a temporary problem is if he communicated with you. The problem is that many tenants refuse to answer phone calls when they start getting into trouble, and that is when you know you have a major problem.

Begin Eviction Proceedings

If you absolutely cannot negotiate with your tenant, you will have to begin eviction proceedings. This can take awhile, so you are still likely to lack rent for weeks to months. That’s why negotiating for some kind of payment plan is usually a better option if at all possible. However, there comes a time when it just is not fair to you and your own family, and you have to find a way to move than tenant out to get a better one in his place.

If you call your local landlord court, they will tell you what documents that you need. Typically, the first step is to deliver a pay or quit notice that tells the tenant that if he cannot pay you what he owes within a certain time frame he has to leave. Be sure to deliver this letter by certified mail or messenger to provide proof that you delivered the warning.

After that, you will have to wait a specified amount of time before you can schedule an eviction hearing. If the tenant does not show up to the hearing, and they often don’t, you are likely to get the eviction. After that, the sheriff will take over and get him out of the home.

It really isn’t difficult to get an eviction done in most areas. However, you will have to do some work, show up at court, and pay fees. Besides that, the time it takes is still going to leave you without income from your property for awhile. The best thing you can do when you have to deal with a tenant not paying rent is to try to figure out what the problem is and make a deal. Of course, next time it will be a good idea to check tenant’s credit more carefully.

Tenant Not Paying Rent Problems?

Find a better alternative to your tenant not paying rent problem, by calling Bluff City Management