Did you know that landlords evict 2.7 million families each year? That may be a small percentage of the population, but if you rent out enough properties, you're bound to have to evict someone at some point.
Luckily, you may only need to send a lease enforcement notice. Then, your tenant will comply, and you won't have to evict them.
Read on to learn how you can enforce your lease agreement.
Create a Written Notice
One of the first steps of lease enforcement is to create a written notice for the tenant. If a tenant is late on their rent, you'll want to create a Pay or Quit Notice.
For other problems, such as bad behavior, you can send a Comply or Quit Notice. You can find templates of these notices online so that you don't have to write the notice from scratch.
Make sure whatever form you use includes the tenant's name and the address of your property. You should also include the issue and when the tenant must comply or pay.
Serve the Notice
Once you're happy with the notice, you'll need to serve it to the tenant. Ideally, you'd go to the rental property in question and hand deliver the notice to the tenant.
When delivering the letter, you can also give it to another adult that lives with the tenant. If you have real estate investments in various cities, you can use certified mail to send a copy of the notice.
Address it to the tenant, and track it so that you know when they receive it. That way, you can make sure you give them three full days to comply.
Keep a Copy
Before you send out the lease enforcement notice, make a copy and keep it in your office. That way, you can refer back to it, such as if you need to send another notice in the future.
You'll also want to have a copy if the tenant doesn't comply. That way, you can prove you offered a chance for them to comply with the rental lease agreement before you evict them.
Make sure on your copy that you include the date and any other details you need. You can also make a blank copy if you want to use it as a template in the future.
Proceed With Eviction
Three full days is usually a good window to allow your tenant to comply with your lease agreement, but you may need to follow your state's law. Of course, some tenants may not respond in time.
At that point, you'll want to contact a lawyer so that you can bring the eviction case to court. Your tenant will have a chance to respond before a judge makes the decision on the eviction.
Assuming you can evict the tenant, you can start to look for a new tenant to fill that property.
Lease Enforcement Made Easy
One of the hardest parts of renting out real estate is lease enforcement. You may not want to think about it, but not all of your tenants will pay on time and follow the rules.
Luckily, enforcing your lease agreement doesn't have to be difficult. Be sure to follow the steps in this article to get your tenant to comply or evict them.
Do you want help managing and enforcing your lease? Learn more about our property management services.