Any clever ideas on how to get bad tenants to move out b4 wasting time with legalities & eviction notices?

Question

I truly enjoy people's company and the relaxed, more secure feeling I get by renting spare bdrms in my house. I'm a fun, young, and very easy going single landlady who's very flexible with deposit and rent pymnts.and try to suit payday or budget needs. But sometimes I get renters who find all sorts of excuses as to why their rent will be late, or sometimes why they are unable to even pay it at all! Of course they act like responsible people at first, but after they're all moved in, they turn into irresponsible, non rent paying, OK to move in girl/boy friend, could care less of others, type of person who suddenly thinks it's OK to take advantage of me because I am so nice and lenient, that they don't have to pay rent and can stay however long they legally, possibly can?
Just because I own a home and flexible with rent pymnts & house rules, they feel it's OK to do this to me? Any smart tricks or clever suggestions on how to boot 'em out before episodes like this even start?

Answer 1

First of all, you need to be very clear from the beginning about the house rules. If you are going to allow overnight guests, there has to be a limit on them. Put the house rules in writing, and give them a copy. Have then sign that they have received then, and agree to your rules! Make this part of the written rental agreement. Put fines in the agreement for violations! For example if they have an overnight guest more than 8 nights a month, (this allows them every weekend) they will have to pay an additional $75 per night per guest. This makes the Motel 6 down the road look really good!!

You also should require a security deposit and get references from previous landlords. You may also want to run a credit report on the tenant prior to agreeing to rental!

You also need to set firm rules about rent payments. Rent is due on or before a certain day of the month! If the tenant is paying a portion of the utilities in addition to a fixed rent amount, that is also due on the same day!

On the first day after rent is unpaid, I mail and personally deliver a "notice to pay rent or vacate". This says that if I do not have the rent within two weeks, they will be evicted! Do not accept any excuses! They pay or start eviction procedings!

Answer 2

Tell them rent has to be paid by a direct deposite/bank withdrawl type thing and if therehas been no payment made within a week after it is due then they have 1 wk to move out. The make sure it is clearly stated in the lease that they sign. (make sure it is legal to do that i your state). Lay out the no new roomates rule in the lease too. Don't you worry about your safety in these situations? Once they violate the lease then start the moving out proceedings and STICK TO IT. Don't give in to the whining and lies and excuses. There will be another renter.

Stop being lenient..that's what gets you into trouble...people will take advantage of others and some poeple attract those types of people to them.Check your people out better before they move in.

Trying to work outside of legalities could only end up getting you in trouble or sued...don't let them do that to you....either be a landlord or be a friend but you can't be both..not when money is involved...and your personal home you live in.

Answer 3

You should not EVER allow late rent payments. In general people who have enough money to pay their bills will do so. But when there is not enough to go around you need to make sure someone else gets put off instead of you. Rent is the most basic expense a person has. When I get a new renter, I give them the same speech. I explain that I consider their rent payment their most important bill, and on the first of the month I expect a payment or I want to find an empty house. It does not matter if they need the money to go see their dying mother or to keep the repo man from taking their car, the choices are the same: pay me or move out immediately. I used to try to be nice, but people will cure you of that. Take a hard line early and set the rules. Never sway once you do that. You need to have a house meeting to put things in order. You do not have to boot them out. Once the rules are set, they will be booting themselves out by not paying or by disrespecting any of your other rules. The pressure is then back on the rule breakers where it belongs instead of on you.

Answer 4

First, the best thing to do is to get good tenants to begin with, so this never happens. Check their credit reports and all of their references, and don't buy their crummy excuses.

Keep the communications clear. If you make a habit of letting people get away with things, you are communicating that you don't mind being treated that way. Develop a system, maybe something like this:
Late rent gets a warning
Breaking house rules gets a warning
A certain number of warnings gets the tenant thrown out.
No rent gets eviction, period. Don't be a doormat!

The best offense is a good defense. Learn landlord law and be prepared to use it. Try Nolo Books for a couple good books on the law. The mere fact that you are armed with paperwork and willing to do what needs to be done, should usually bring your tenant into line. Be prepared to deal with crappy excuses, whining, pleading, name-calling, threats, etc. Be ready with papers and be ready to change the locks. Don't back down. If you learn how to not be taken advantage of by your tenants, then you will learn how to keep from being taken advantage of by other people in your life as well.

Good luck to you.

Answer 5

Never, ever accept an excuse for not paying the rent.
Set a clear, short deadline deadline for payment and explain their goods will be packed and left on the doorstep if payment is not made by that date.
Keep a second (or third) lock handy and if they do not pay by the deadline, carefully pack everything into bags and leave it on the doorstep. Change the lock to the second one. You will need to give your other tenants a new key (don't worry they will understand, and it will be a useful reminder for anybody considering the same idea!)
Forget about the legal niceties.
Ignore any raving or threats about going to law, people like that - don't. Having a nice large man around at a time like this can be handy. If you don't know one, try the doorman at a local nightclub. Pay him a little just to be there.
DO NOT be too soft. It will rebound on you, cause you grief and cost you money.

Answer 6

I suppose it's complicated by the fact that you're living there as well. Personally, I wouldn't find anything relaxed or secure about sharing a house with strangers. I wouldn't even share with people I know. But if you really need to get rid of someone, just be pleasant, but as annoying as you possibly can. Walk in on them when they're using the bathroom. Say "Oh don't mind me, I just needed to get a band-aid." Walk in to their bedroom in the morning and ask if they'd like tea or coffee. This would be most effective if they have their g/f or b/f over. Do this every morning, as if you can't remember what they said the day before. If they put a lock on the door, you might have a legitimate excuse for evicting them, because they have damaged your property. Of course, if they don't have a lease, then you can probably just get the police to come over and remove them. I'm not sure about this, but if they don't have a lease, and they can't prove they are paying rent, then they're trespassing. Good luck with it, it sounds like a nightmare.

Answer 7

yes Leggs, two things: first thing is to rent weekly with a months deposit and rent paid weekly, this puts you into another category of notices weekly rather then monthly when evicting.

secondly, if you rent without paperwork of any-kind and only cash, you can also ask a person to leave at a moments notice with the authorities as a backup to get an unwanted / unwelcomed guest out of the home.

protect your belongings and do not surrender personal information to your roomy.

you'll know when the right person comes along to share some personal stuff with

Answer 8

my son always keep roommates,and he never have this kind of problem,but my younger daughter,hardly can rent her rooms and when my son help to find one for her then she becomes so much friendly that the renters start taking advantage and then she get very upset and rood,so the renter have to get out.but her whole house is empty since three months and she is keep on paying the bills and the morgage,because she got married and moved in with her husband.telling all this i just wanted to tell you that if you are not strict with your rules and regulation and will try to be very nice and at the same time asking them to pay you regularly it will not happen.next time when you rent the room have written contract signed by the renter and make it clear that if the rent will not be paid on time with in a week notice they must be out.no excuses,because you also have to pay the bills so you can't have to go and live on their excuses for not paying the rent on time.and never ever try to be friendly or out way to be nice with them,because they are paying they will take advantage of your being friendly.if you have every thing written clearly in the agreement and get signed by them accepting what you want then it will not be a legal mess.
and also with the existing renter if you wants them to be out just cut off the water and electricy for two weeks,they will be out.it will be a little harder on you because you will also sufer but you can adjest with your friend or family till the renters are out.without electricity they may stay but without water it will be hard to stay.just tell them that you do not have the payments and they dissconnecte the utilities so please get out.
but if you do not try to change your attitude, you will always have this problem.put a clip board on the rifrigrater for the notes to your renters.write down any thing if the do not follow the rules in the beggening be strict,then you will never have any problem for your rent.
good luck

Answer 9

It's harder to deal with this after the fact as you've found out. Truly, you need to get a good legal docuement in order and have them sign it before they move in.
Be sure ot put in there that if they fail to pay rent you have the right to change the locks and keep all of their possessions.
Also, make them pay a months security deposit or something so when you do lock them out and keep their stuff you are not yet behind on payments.

Find a lawyer to give you advise.

More directly in line with your question - throw a party or two, stink up the bathroom a lot. Maybe even miss the toilet but get the seat and leave it.....Do things that woudl make you want to move out if you were the tenant.

Godo luck!

Answer 10

you are letting people use you I tried to help people in this area as well and lost most of my stuff. I suggest you have contracts writen up so that you can take legal action when necessary however a better idea is do not rent. these type of people will always show up.