Tenant Won't Pay Rent? Ways for Landlords to Deal With Deadbeat Renters
What do you do when a tenant won't pay rent? Your first thought might be immediate eviction. Not so fast -- your ability to do that depends on the laws governing the area where you live.
Landlords in New York, for example? They've got it tough. According to New York law, landlords require court intervention in order to evict a tenant who refuses to pay rent. That means New York landlords may have to hire a lawyer and go through a lengthy court process before they can be rid of deadbeat tenants. Check out eviction processes by state to know what to do in your area.
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Is there another way? One Brooklyn landlady seems to think so. She attempted to shame her tenant into either leaving or coughing up the rent that he owes by posting a sign outside the property where the tenant lives, reading: "My tenant Fred Gallipoli didn't pay his rent for three (3) months, almost (4) months!!" The tenant said, though, that his landlady refused to accept his check. (See more in the above video from WPIX-TV in New York.)
One note of caution that property managers should take into consideration: Making a rash decision to kick out a tenant the first time they fail to pay rent may not be a wise move. Finance blog Bigger Pockets tells landlords to ask themselves a few questions before they decide to evict: What are the chances of finding a better tenant within a month? Is the current tenant really trustworthy?
Related: Are You Ready to Be a Landlord?
If you have a tenant who's been renting from you for more than six months, and you've been able to establish a rapport with them and have an idea of the person they are, you might try and work with them on rectifying the situation. If you kick your current tenant out, the new one could be worse.
See also:
Raw Sewage in Your Apartment: Repairs Your Landlord Can't Ignore
Nightmare Stories of Renting Out Your Home
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