There are no landlords who want to go through an eviction process; it is stressful, time-consuming, and costly. However, a property owner needs to be able to protect their asset as well as their income when tenants cease paying rent or violate lease terms.
Understanding the conditions that may lead to an eviction. Read the article below, as we discuss how working with a professional property manager resolves problems at the earliest possible time, which will likely save a landlord tens of thousands of dollars.
What are the Common Eviction Triggers?
Evictions do not occur overnight, but rather as the culmination of a series of behaviors or conditions that render it unreasonable to continue the tenancy.
Therefore, understanding these warning signs will allow you to recognize potential issues before they spiral into an unmanageable problem.
1. Late or Non-Payment of Rent
Late payment of rent is the number one reason landlords seek to evict their tenants. Since tenants are responsible for providing your rental income, late payments mean no income from that tenant.
In most jurisdictions, there exists a required time frame, usually 3-5 days, after which rent is due, for a landlord to give a written notice to a tenant. This allows the tenant to make a timely payment of rent before pursuing formal legal action through the courts.
However, if a tenant has fallen behind on rent because of some short-term hardship, early communication may be able to rectify the situation.
2. Lease Violations
Tenants enter into leases with the intention to abide by them. If tenants violate the terms of their lease, it provides you with the ability to take action against them.
The most common infractions are allowing unauthorized animals, additional occupants who were not included on the lease, smoking in non-smoking apartments, or unauthorized subleasing. Violations such as these will negatively impact your property and the value of your investment.
Document all violations thru email exchanges, photos, witness statements, as well as property damage above what would be considered typical wear and tear. Documentation is key when the matter goes to trial.
3. Illegal Activity on the Premises
This is a serious issue. Using a rental property to commit illegal acts, such as selling drugs or manufacturing drugs, puts the renter, the property owner, and all of the renters at that location in danger.
Many jurisdictions have laws that allow law enforcement to expedite the eviction process if they determine that an illegal activity has taken place on the rental property.
If you are concerned about illegal activity taking place on a rental property you live in, contact your property management company and the local authorities right away. Your safety should be your top priority.
4. Property Damage or Neglect
As tenants, you are responsible for keeping up with the basics. If you cause serious damage (i.e., broken windows, large holes in walls, destroyed floors) or ignore problems such as leaking faucets until they create mold, you are breaching your lease and landlord trust.
This type of damage is different from typical wear and tear, which is inexpensive to repair. Instead, it indicates that the tenant does not value your property. Regularly inspecting your properties will help you identify early signs of potential damage.
5. Disruptive Behavior
In addition to violating their lease, harassment, noise complaints, threats towards neighbors, and other types of disturbances also make your property a place where no one wants to live. If you have a problem with one tenant in a multi-family building, that is likely to cause other good tenants to move out.
The formal warning process allows the tenant to rectify the situation before taking further action, such as an eviction proceeding, which will protect the peace and safety of all parties involved. When formally documented, courts take these matters very seriously.
When such triggers appear, how you respond matters. Bay Property Management Group Philadelphia advises documenting all lease violations to protect your rights as the property owner. This means written records, photos, and dates to keep you protected in case you end up before a judge.
Role of Property Managers in Resolving Eviction Concerns
Whether it can be resolved quickly or escalates into a full eviction depends on the speed and quality of intervention by others.
A professional property manager is a lot more than simply a rent collector. They are also problem solvers whose purpose is to keep tenants from being evicted and the landlord from having to take legal action against them.
This is exactly how they help with evictions:
Early Communication
Most problems that get tenants evicted begin as minor complaints. A single missed rent check. A single noise complaint. A mysterious pet that appears in your rental property. The reason property managers are able to see this coming so soon into a potential issue is simply that they are watching for it.
When rent becomes late, the property manager doesn’t sit back for weeks waiting for you to send money again; he/she reaches out to you immediately and send a friendly but firm notice reminding you of the late status of your rent.
In most cases, this is enough to prompt action on the part of the tenant and continue to collect rent from the tenant while preserving the landlord/tenant relationship.
Offering Payment Plans
Life happens; a tenant may lose a job, have medical bills that need to be paid, or have a car breakdown that wipes out his/her savings. The tenant is not attempting to defraud you but is simply in a bind.
A property manager can determine the current status and develop a structured payment plan that is beneficial to both parties. The property manager does not demand full back rent right away. Instead, he/she will create a payment schedule that splits the total amount owed across multiple months, along with the monthly rental payments.
This allows the tenant to gain some financial relief; however, you still receive your back rent over time, and you do not have to pay for a vacant unit and related court expenses, as well as loss of rental income.
Mediation and Conflict Resolution
The problem is often not money, but instead neighbor disagreements, personality conflicts, or misinterpretation of lease terms. Disputes can grow into full-blown issues when they are ignored. Property managers act in an unbiased manner and will listen to each side and work toward a solution.
When there is a dispute between two tenants regarding noise levels, the property manager does not take sides. The manager will explain to each party the time designated for quiet hours and attempt to come to a compromise. The manager will also record the meeting/conversation.
If a tenant believes a repair was neglected by management, the manager will investigate the issue and communicate with the tenant in writing as to what timeframe the repair will be completed. This is one benefit of lease via property management; the property and your needs are taken care of.
Conclusion
Early contact, payment plans, and a third-party mediator can help avoid evictions. However, when this doesn’t work as a solution, experienced property managers will assist with each phase to protect both your rights and your investment.
They will take care of the stressors that come with an eviction process, allowing you to continue pursuing your goals. Knowing the typical duration of an eviction helps landlords prepare for property turnover and minimize vacancy.
Partner with experienced property managers today and save yourself the headache associated with eviction.