San Antonio Property Management Blog

Though you hate it, as a landlord, there often comes a time when you have to take care of evicting a tenant. No decent landlord wants to evict a tenant. Not only does it make you feel bad, but the headache, sleepless nights, and the loss of income are also not fun at all. 

Sadly, evictions are a part of property management and have to be done. However, there is a guide that you can follow as a landlord to make sure the eviction process is done the right way and within the laws of your state. 

Know the Eviction Laws in Your State

The first thing you need to determine is what the eviction laws are in your state. Every state is different, so you need to know the laws on the appropriate reasons for evicting your tenant and the steps that need to be taken in your state to evict someone from your property properly. 

Make Sure You Can Legally Evict

As previously stated, there are reasons in each state for when you can evict a tenant. Usually, you can evict a tenant for failing to pay the rent on time, violating the terms of his lease, harming someone on the property, or damaging the property beyond any reasonable wear and tear. 

In other words, make sure you know that you can legally evict a tenant before you put a notice on their door, or you could find yourself in hot water with the court instead. 

Speak With Your Tenants

Once you're positive that you have legal grounds for evicting your tenants, your next step should be to talk to the tenants themselves. The eviction process can be a huge headache for all involved, not to mention what it will cost you. 

Talk to your tenants and give them the chance to vacate the premises on their own first. Your tenant may know the laws on tenant and landlord evictions as well, so make sure you do everything above board from the very beginning.

Make Sure to Give Proper Notice

If your tenants refuse to leave the premises, then you need to let them know that you're evicting them by serving them with a proper eviction notice. Different states have different laws on how long that proper notice is. According to the state you live in, the eviction could be for seven days, 30 days, or longer.

Head to Court if Needed 

In many cases, the eviction notice is enough to get the tenant to move out of your property. However, if they refuse to move, you'll need to gather your evidence and head into court when the court date arrives. Hopefully, it won't come to that, but you need to be prepared if it does.

Evictions Are Never Easy

While evictions are never easy on the landlord or the tenant, they are a part of life as a property manager. For more information on being a landlord, questions about the eviction process, and anything else rental property-related, contact us today. We specialize in residential management, leasing services, maintenance, and everything else to help manage your property the right way.