Handling Bad Tenants – Salt Lake City Property Management
No one signs up for a bad tenant, but it’s a reality of life for landlords. Today, we’re talking about how to find some solutions when you’re dealing with a bad tenant.
Property Management Utah: Good Tenant versus Bad Tenant
First, you need to know what a good tenant looks like. A good tenant pays rent in full on time every month, and lets you know when there’s a problem at the house so you can fix it. A bad tenant could be someone who doesn’t pay rent on time. Perhaps you always have to call them and hassle them to pay rent. Maybe they aren’t getting along well with the neighbors in their complex or next door. Maybe you get a lot of complaints from the police department or the neighbors, or maybe the owner will drive by and see that the property is not being cared for. These are all bad scenarios we want to avoid, but they do happen.
Property Management Utah: Unpaid Rent
If you have to chase a tenant down for rent, there are a few things to keep in mind. Understand your rights as a landlord, but make sure you also understand your renter’s rights. You have to take the proper steps to collecting late rent and staying within the boundaries of the law.
Property Management Utah: Communication
Communication should be clear from the beginning, and your tenants must understand your message. When you set a high standard for tenant performance, they know what they are getting into and what you expect. Put everything in writing. Not just your lease agreement, but anything in addition to that. You should have a written set of rules and guidelines for your property. Communicate that information to the tenant. When they have it in writing, they can refer back to it.
Property Management Utah: Know the Laws
In a worst-case scenario, someone is not paying rent, or maybe there is a police call at your property. You need to know how to go about taking further action. You cannot just toss the tenant’s belongings out on the street and change the locks. There are rules and laws and codes that you need to follow, otherwise you’ll get yourself into a lot of trouble, even if you think you’re doing the right thing. Serve the right notices on time, and make sure they’re dated and signed. Follow the necessary deadlines and timeframes. In the property management world, people end up getting into trouble because they forget to do something, or they do something that they’re not supposed to do. Sometimes, they’ll do something wrong. Avoid these risks. It’s not only a hassle, but it’s also costly if you have to involve a landlord lawyer.
Tips to Avoid Having a Bad Tenant
- Do a thorough tenant screening, which includes a credit and background check. Talk to references and verify employment. Make sure they are who they say they are, and their story checks out. Often, if someone is a little sketchy, their story doesn’t match up somewhere.
- Conduct regular walk-throughs. You should do a walk-through before a tenant moves in, and a couple of times a year. Make sure you, or someone you trust, drives around the property once a month just to make sure everything looks okay - did they add a fire pit? Use your maintenance people as resources. They will be inside the property, and they can see what’s going on.
- Facilitate rent collection by allowing online payments. Make it easy for tenants to send that payment in.
Eviction Package Guarantee
We understand how frustrating it is when a tenant violates their lease agreement and the financial implications for property owners. It’s an unfortunate fact that some tenancies end in eviction. With TierOne’s Eviction Package Guarantee, you don’t have to worry about the costs for an eviction. If you enrolled in our Eviction Protection Guarantee we not only handle the eviction process, but we cover the filing fees associated with the eviction, up to $1,000.
If you have any questions or comments, or you’d like further information, please contact us at TierOne Property Management. We would love to help you out. If you don’t have the time to manage your Salt Lake City property successfully, we can find some happy solutions for your day-to-day headaches with our Landlord Rescue Program.
