In a perfect world, you would never have to deal with bad tenants. Unfortunately, landlords everywhere have to deal with problem tenants from time to time. Those who are relatively new to being a landlord tend to have the most problems, but it can happen to anyone. Even when you have a good screening process to find the best tenants, things can go wrong.
Now that you are dealing with bad tenants, you are probably wondering just what you can do about them. Whether they are destructive to the property, causing problems with the neighbors, or they aren’t paying their rent on time, there are some things you can do to deal with them.
Keep Calm and Understand the Problem
When you have a bad tenant, it is easy to get upset. While the situation might be frustrating, if you get angry and aggressive, you will make it worse. The best thing to do is to remain as calm as possible when you are dealing with tenants. Try to find out what the problem is, as this can make it easier to deal with and fix.
Talk with the tenants about the situation. If they are late on their rent, ask them why and what happened. If it is a one-time occurrence, then you probably shouldn’t worry. However, if they are chronically late or they are several months behind, it is time to take further action. When you talk with the tenants calmly about the problems, no matter what they might be, it can often resolve the issue.
You should make sure you understand exactly what issues the tenants have as well. If they have been asking you to take care of repairs or problems with the house and you’ve neglected those issues, it could be a reason for the late rent.
Review Your Lease
When dealing with problem tenants, you also need to go through your lease. With many leases, there are clauses in there that will protect you. For example, you may have clauses that prohibit criminal activity or drugs on the property. If they violate those clauses, then it will be easier to evict them. If you do not have clauses like this in the lease, then you will want to put them in a new lease when the time comes to renew or when you are screening new tenants and bringing them into the home.
Do Not Wait
When you have a problem, you can’t ignore it. It will not go away, and in many cases, the issues with the tenants will actually get worse. What you need to do is keep on top of the situation and try to resolve it calmly and without going to court. You may ask the tenant to move if they aren’t paying their rent. Sometimes, this will work and they will move out. However, you may have to go through the courts and actually evict the tenant. This is not the best option, but sometimes it is the only choice that you have left to you. If you have to go through an eviction, be sure that you talk with an attorney and have them take care of all of the paperwork. Occasionally, just the threat of going to court with an eviction is enough to get them to move.
Nobody likes dealing with bad tenants, but it does happen. It is important to know what you should do and how you should proceed if you find yourself in this situation, and the aforementioned tips should help you.