Sometimes, in spite of your best efforts, you may wind up in a situation where you have to evict a tenant. Today we are going to talk about what to do if you are faced with that situation, and whether there might be a way out. When a tenant stops paying rent, you need to find out why. Maybe they lost their job, or they’ve had a recent illness or injury that has affected their ability to pay the rent. When you find yourself in that uncomfortable situation that you have to make the decision to move forward with an eviction, prepare yourself to pay costs upwards of $1,500 in the Santa Cruz area. Plus, you will have the lost rent during the eviction process to include in the total expenses involved in an eviction. You might want to consider a negotiation of some sort in lieu of the eviction.
One thing you could do is present your tenants with an offer, such as a cash for keys agreement or some other middle ground that might make it appealing for them to leave without having to evict. If you can persuade your tenants to leave immediately and to leave behind a clean place, spending a little money to get them out will be better for you in the long run. If you find yourself in a situation where you just cannot work out an alternative, then my best advice to you is to work with an attorney closely. When you have a legal expert on your team, you know the process and the paperwork is done properly. Use an attorney who is experienced in tenant law and evictions. The last thing you want to do during this period of time is to show up in court and find out your case is being dismissed due to a technicality or because you missed dotting an “I” or crossing a “t” on your paperwork.
At Real Estate Eight Three One, we have a staff of attorneys who we consult with regularly on matters such as eviction. We can certainly help you with that process if you find yourself in an eviction situation. If you need any help or have any questions about evictions or anything else pertaining to property management, please contact us at Real Estate Eight Three One. We would be happy to assist you in any way we can.
