Avoiding Evictions

I've discovered the best way to reduce/avoid evictions is a two step process.


1. Screening: I carefully screen all applicants to make sure they can pay their rent, and in case they don't pay their rent, they are likely to move out to avoid eviction.  I recently had a friend with a problem with a tenant who didn't pay the rent, and had to be evicted.  When discussing what steps he went through to screen the applicant, I learned he hadn't screened the applicant at all.  The applicant's grandmother showed up with the applicants two children, and promised the applicant would be a great tenant.  Who can argue with Grandma??

It's very, very important before you establish qualification standards, and you apply those standards to all applications, regardless of how nice the applicant (or their grandmother) seems.

2.  Communication:  It's very important to communicate with the resident during the lease signing process.  I "teach" them about the notice to terminate process, and let them know if they get a notice, they need to get in touch with me.  I let them know that residents who don't communicate with me during the notice process are always referred for eviction.  I also explain to them how the eviction process works, what it means to be evicted, and how difficult it is to rent after having been evicted.

Proper screening and effective communication will drastically reduce the number of evictions you'll have to deal with, which will reduce your expenses and amount of rent lost.  It'll really help your bottom line.