Are you dealing with tenants who don’t pay rent? Unfortunately, it’s one of the most frustrating aspects of being a landlord. In this article, we’ll talk about how Dallas landlords are dealing with tenants who don’t pay rent…
If you have tenants who aren’t paying rent then you’re facing the same dilemma that many landlords go through at least once. It’s frustrating and unfortunately, your options are limited once the tenants are in the home. Here’s how Dallas landlords are dealing with tenants who don’t pay rent.
Of course, the best defense is a good offense – meaning that if you are careful about doing a background check on your tenants, and if you have a contract, then those things will help you. But here are your other options…
#1. Avoid the situation
You could avoid the situation altogether by making sure you vet your tenant appropriately and collect some sort of refundable deposit upfront. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for tenants to go into a home with the idea of not paying rent. If you vet them appropriately and make sure they can afford the rent and have a good employment history, it will help make sure you’re finding a good tenant. And then if you collect a refundable deposit before they move in that will be refunded as long as they uphold their end of the lease and keep the home in good condition. Taking these steps, in the beginning, will help mitigate your risks of taking on a not-so-great tenant.
#2. Negotiate
At this point, it’s too late to go back and make sure you vetted your tenant appropriately since they’re already living in the home. Once your tenant is late on their first rent payment, it’s important to have a conversation with them to find out what situation they’re in and what’s going on in their personal life to force them to miss a rent payment. If they have personal issues going on, it’s important to try and work through this with them to see if you can both find a good solution.
One option that could work is by trying to negotiate with them. Negotiating with them on maybe a different rent payment structure or a way they could make mini payments until they’re all caught up. Not everyone can pay a large lump sum easily every month; some renters can pay better by the week because it’s a smaller payment. Or maybe you can get them to do some work around the property in exchange for a discount on the rent. If you choose to negotiate with your tenant, make sure you get an agreement from them that works for both of you, otherwise, the situation will just end up worse and everyone will be frustrated.
#3. Evict
If you have exhausted all options and your tenant refuses to cooperate and work with you to catch up on their rent, then it’s time to start the eviction process. Unfortunately, the eviction process isn’t the ideal situation so make sure this is your last resort.
It’s important for you to understand how complicated the eviction process is and if you’re not confident in the process, then it’s suggested that you hire someone to do it for you. If the process isn’t done correctly, you will have to start the entire process over continuously until you get it right. Or in a worst-case scenario, the judge could rule in your tenant’s favor and you will be stuck.
Eviction is very difficult to do since there are various laws and steps you have to take. If you do the entire process correctly from start to finish, it could take 30 to 45 days before the tenant is completely out of the house. Once the tenant is out, then you have to hope that they didn’t destroy the house on their way out. Unfortunately, it’s very common for an angry tenant to destroy a lot of things in the house upon their exit.
#4. Sell
The easiest and most convenient way to deal with tenants who don’t pay rent is to sell to someone else who is willing to deal with the situation and has the experience to get it done. If you feel like non of these options would work for you, then I think it’s time to give us a call. Just imagine selling the property and moving on with your life without ever having to talk or deal with the tenant ever again. Unless they’re family, which we have dealt with too! I know trying to evict family is even harder, but we can take care of that as well! Many landlords love the new-found freedom they get when they sell so call us and let us make you an offer!
At North Texas Cash For Homes we buy frustrating rental properties from landlords like you who are burned out, worn out, frustrated, and who just want to get their lives back.