Bad tenants are definitely a landlord’s nightmare. Apart from late rental payments, bad tenants can go as far as damaging your property by putting trashes inside the apartment, doing criminal acts, and breaking house rules.
Whether you’re renting out your first property or you’ve been a landlord all your life, it’s crucial to know the right ways to deal with tenant problems. As an expert in property management, Stevens Rentals can help you take action when your tenants wreak havoc on your property.
Below are four important steps to help you deal with bad tenants:
1. Implement house rules.
As a landlord, the first thing that you need to do is to lay the house rules so every tenant that comes in will know his or her restrictions when inside the property. Provide a lease agreement in case there are issues you need to address in the future. Since every state has different landlord-tenant laws governing the content of a lease agreement, be sure to use a state-specific lease agreement. This will help you put in order all house policies like cleanliness, penalties on late rental payments, property maintenance, suspicious acts, and other several related concerns.
2. Obey all disclosure laws.
No matter how good you are as a landlord, there will always be bad tenants who will go running to shady attorneys. The first thing attorneys do is to check if your lease agreement is valid and you meet the terms of all pertinent landlord-tenant laws. They will also see to it if you delivered all the essential disclosures.
As a landlord, make sure you fully understand all disclosure laws and comply with them in case related circumstances occur. You need to be familiar with your state’s landlord-tenant code as well. Hire a real estate person who will assist you in case more problems transpire.
3. Be professional at all times.
It may be tempting to unload your pent-up emotions on your tenant, but bear in mind not to engage in a confrontation that is not really relevant to your current issue. As a landlord, you need to show your professionalism at all times. Talk to your tenant about the current issue and never pull other people into the confrontation unless it’s really necessary when solving the problem.
4. Learn your state’s eviction laws and follow the legal process.
Whether the property you’re managing is apartments in Lawton or single-family homes in Nashville, eviction laws vary within every state. As a landlord, know that there are different eviction procedures so read, understand, and comply closely with them. Other steps include hiring a real estate attorney who specializes in evictions. This may be rather expensive but can be effective. You could also consult an eviction specialist which is more affordable.
As a landlord and business owner, following all these crucial steps will help you deal with bad tenants. But even so, it is best to screen your tenants and find as much information about them before you give them permission to settle in your property.
Effective property management is about keeping tenants happy with their home and ensuring that they treat your property to the standard that you’ve outlined in your tenancy agreement. Here at Stevens Rental Properties, we offer exceptional property management services in Knoxville, Cookeville, Chattanooga, Sparta, and McMinnville, Tennessee.
