A bad tenant is someone that every investor and landlord fears. Tenants of this type can give you all sorts of problems and make your job much tougher. If you are not careful, they will give you a bad reputation.
Sadly, you have to deal with bad tenants now and again. Even with the most intricate screening process, you cannot predict who is going to be a bad tenant.
If you are a landlord in Los Angeles, you want to know your rights when you have a challenging tenant. To protect yourself from a bad tenant, here are your options:
#1: Boost Your Tenant Screening And Qualification Process
The best way to deal with bad tenants is to not let them into your property in the first place. An upfront screening is the most important thing that you can do. This will make sure that your tenants are qualified and aren’t likely to cause problems.
Here are some factors to add to your tenant screening process to decrease the likelihood of having a bad tenant:
- Check credit reports. This will help you determine whether your potential tenant can consistently pay the rent.
- Debt-to-income ratio: Knowing how much your tenant owes to others helps you assess if he could pay the rent.
- Employment and income verification: A stable work history gives your potential tenant the means to cover their monthly rent.
- Rental history: A tenant who has been evicted or broken a lease is most likely to do so again, unless they have compelling reasons. Interviewing their previous landlords also gives you an idea if the tenant has a history of being difficult.
#2: Assert Your Rights Against Bad Tenants
If your tenants are becoming a problem, send them a certified 10-day notice letter. In this letter, inform them that they have violated the terms of their lease and that they should comply or face eviction.
Send the letter through certified mail so that you can verify when it was sent and received. Then, follow up on the tenant’s response and see if they have complied. If not, or if they refuse to comply, you can evict your tenants within a month.
#3: Be professional When Handling The Tenant
When your tenant is being difficult, the last thing you want to do is react impulsively. A knee-jerk, emotional response would reflect badly on your reputation as a landlord. Also, handling something in a way that’s outside of the legal process could get you in trouble.
Follow the procedure on the lease agreement and be consistent. Document everything and avoid being too emotional. If possible, work out a compromise with the tenant involved.
Remember that a tenant has rights, too. Brush up on tenants’ rights in the state to know whether you have the right to enter the unit without consent, to evict a tenant for certain violations, among others. This would avoid messy legal disputes if ever the tenant decides to bring the matter to court.
#4: Call Backup
Sometimes it’s difficult to handle bad tenants, either because you have another job or you’re not sure you can handle the matter professionally. In this case, you might want to consider hiring a property manager.
A property manager is, in a way, a landlord. They’re experts in screening tenants, collecting rent, and maintaining the condition of the property. They also know how to handle bad tenants in a professional manner.
By hiring a property manager, you won’t have to worry about micromanaging a property. While they manage the nitty-gritty of your rental operations, you have more time to grow the business.
No one wants to get a difficult tenant. Unfortunately, sometimes they can slip past a thorough background check. If you find yourself dealing with a bad tenant, know your protect your rights as a landlord and follow our advice for your peace of mind.
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