3 Things Landlords Can Do to Reduce Evictions

February 10, 2020
Law Office of Ray Garcia, P.A.

Contrary to public image, landlords do noy enjoy evicting tenants. You know this as a landlord;  you also know that an eviction hurts you in addition to causing pain and stress for your tenants. With the rate of evictions rising in the U.S., landlords are starting to take more proactive steps to cut down on instances. While an eviction every now and then is unfortunately inevitable, there are steps you can take and conditions you can place that make the occurrence less frequent. 

    1. Be proactive by creating and cultivating a healthy relationship with your tenants. Promoting transparency and honest communication might not prevent every tenant from failing to pay rent. However, having an open line of communication might help you get a good idea of when an eviction might be coming down the pipe.
    2. Perform background checks. This is among the more obvious ways you can reduce your eviction rate in your properties. In addition to running criminal background checks, request past rental histories and professional references. This will take some time and effort upfront, but will end up paying off in the long run. If something gives you pause, think long and hard before you sign a contract with the individual.Of course, you must not run afoul of Fair Housing Laws. These prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, national origin, participation in Section 8 programs, and other classifications.
    3. Show leniency (within reason). You should not feel obligated to keep letting a renter stay in your property after many months of missed payments, but understand that negotiations can take place before you turn to eviction. If your tenant falls on hard times, try to show empathy and attempt to work out an arrangement with him or her. Again, you should not feel responsible for doing this with every tenant who falls behind, but seeing where (and if) you can meet your tenant in the middle can be beneficial.

Risks of Improper Evictions

There are numerous requirements for landlords to satisfy when initiating eviction procedures against a tenant. For instance, some jurisdictions require you to send tenants a written notice of eviction with cause. If you don’t adhere to regulations, you could be facing a countersuit. 

Conclusion

An ounce of prevention, they say, is worth a pound of cure. This is true when screening prospective tenants so you can decrease the frequency of evictions you must initiate. For professional and sensitive legal counsel who can help you with your real-estate issues, get in touch with the Law Offices of Ray Garcia today.

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Law Office of Ray Garcia, P.A.

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