Dealing with Bad Renters

Whether you rent homes to earn a living or it became your only option due to a

down market when you needed to sell your home, if you go through enough renters,

you will eventually run across the infamous “tenant from hell”. They’re always late

with the rent check, holes begin to magically appear in the walls, and the little devils

of the home find drywall to be the perfect space for their latest toddler Picasso

piece. So how do you deal with this issue while also avoiding eviction court?

How do you protect your house and yourself from bad

tenants?

To start, always, without exception, screen your tenants. We all have the tendency to

get caught up in the rush to fill a vacant property, but we should never get past skip

over the background check. Look into their credit score, make sure they’re being

honest about their income, and always talk to their previous landlords for reference.

These things are the best resources to learning about your potential tenants.

Another key piece of advice is this: never trust a handshake deal. Put everything in

writing, because paper is the only thing that stands up to the test of time. When you

give your potential tenants the lease, also provide them with a list of rules that you

may have for the property. This should be signed and returned along with the lease.

This will give you peace of mind and provide one more safeguard against property

damage.

What if my tenants violate the lease, the law, or

disrespect my property?

First, read the lease clause by clause to determine if they are truly violating the

lease. If they are, you have gained the upper hand, from a legal standpoint at least.

Now, there is no reason to jump to aggression. Take some time to figure out the best

way to handle the situation. Once you decide how you will confront the tenants,

focus on keeping your cool. Getting upset and emotional will only make things

worse. Now, you also should not mistake being calm while talking to the tenant with

being soft. Talk to them in a firm manner regarding the problems, and tell them how

you expect the problem to be resolved. Also, make it known that you are prepared to

take legal action if the problems are not solved.

Now, the hard part is done, but the situation is not solved all together. Your job from

this point forward is to follow up! If they don’t pay rent on time, or they continue to

break the rules of the lease, follow up without hesitation until the behavior stops.

Following up might even mean knocking on their door everyday until the problem is

solved. Make it known that if they live in your property, they must follow your rules.

If you are not able to make a physical appearance at the residence, follow up using

email or phone calls, while keeping diligent records of each correspondence.