As the experts in Hampton property management, we know that owning Rent Estate™ has many benefits and perks. From collecting passive income every month to building financial independence, investment property ownership is a fantastic way to move ahead in life and meet your goals! However, even with all the positive peaks of investment properties, there are some troughs, too.
What happens when worse comes to worst? What do we mean by that?
At Renters Warehouse Hampton Roads, we believe that eviction should always be a last resort when it comes to caring for your rental home. However, there are cases where negotiations break down, and swift action is required to protect you and your property. When that happens, knowing a little about what to expect from the eviction process can help keep you moving forward.
Foreword: If you've found this blog, it may be because you're facing eviction with a current resident. While we are experts in Hampton property management, this blog is not intended as a replacement for legal counsel. If you need live support, get in touch with us or a competent attorney to assist you through the process!
Why You May Need to Evict a Tenant
Sometimes when you bring a new renter into one of your properties, you may feel great about the situation. Maybe you hit it off with the prospective tenant and felt that everything would go fine just based on your gut instinct—so you didn't run a thorough screening of the potential renter. Unfortunately, this can spell major trouble for landlords: in time, the tenant you felt great about proved to be a problem—and not just a small problem, but a significant one! You landed a "Professional Tenant."
Another scenario might be that you did run a thorough screening on your applicant: everything even came up clear! So what went wrong? Life can change for anyone overnight. Sometimes, your residents are faced with an unexpected and sudden life change that ultimately leads down the road to eviction. At Renters Warehouse Hampton Roads, this is exactly why we offer our landlords our Eviction Protection Plan: sometimes, life throws a curveball!
That said, now that you know why you may need to evict a tenant when all else fails, it's time to explore what you should do in the event of an eviction.
If You Have to Evict
Hopefully, you won’t ever need to evict. However, if you're here because eviction is imminent, these tips should help you find a platform to get started.
Work With Expert Legal Counsel
An attorney will know if you have solid grounds for eviction and ensure that you follow Virginia law as well as locals laws concerning evictions. An attorney will also be able to outline your rights as a landlord and help you take action in accordance with the law.
Put Everything in Writing
In order to provide yourself with a strong foundation for a case—especially where Professional Tenants are concerned—you should always document every piece of communication or action concerning your renters. Having physical copies of work orders, responses to maintenance requests, and inspections is the bare minimum when it comes to protecting your asset.
Ensure You Have a Strong Case for Eviction
As stated above, your reason for pursuing an eviction must be sound. Even then, it would help if you double-checked with your attorney to make sure you follow proper protocol.
Some of the main motivations to evict (that are actually legal) are as follows:
- Your tenant fails to pay the rent
- Residents are breaking the rules spelled out in the lease
- A renter has severely damaged your rental home
- The tenant is engaging in illegal activity
- The renter is a continual nuisance to other residents.
As much as you may not want to go forward with eviction, there comes a time when it may be necessary.
However, when you can avoid it, start with warnings: make your tenant aware that they are breaking the rules or are a source of noise violations (and document all this in writing). If there aren’t any changes, then your attorney can help you proceed.
Work With Hampton Property Management
When you bring in the skills of a Hampton property manager, you gain access to additional guidance—and prevention.
- Your property management partner is a fantastic resource when it comes to screening and tenant placement—which makes it less likely that you’ll need to evict.
- Proactive prevention is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your property.
- Your Hampton property management company knows how to spring into action in the rare case that a bad tenant slips through the cracks.
- You can rest easy knowing that your skilled property manager can take on the eviction process for you.
If you’re a landlord, then you know the stress that can come with managing your Hampton rental alone. Take the hassle out of investment properties by connecting with Renters Warehouse Hampton Roads! We can even help you get started preparing yourself for an eviction: just download our FREE Tenant Eviction Checklist!
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