Rent Collection

If you need to collect unpaid rent, there is a legal process that must be followed.

When rent is not paid on time, the landlord should be prepared to take action to collect before too much time passes. Don't be strung along by the tenant waiting for some promise that may never come. Such as their tax return.

Late Rent Notice - Be prompt in issuing your tenant a late notice when the rent is not paid by the end of the rent grace period. That is the date rent becomes late - usually it is after the 5th day after due date. We always recommend using a late notice that informs the tenant of late fees. We also think it's a good idea to let the tenant know that the longer you wait the more money it cost them.

Phone call- If after you haven't received the rent or a response from the tenant within a reasonable time we give the tenant a call to find out what is wrong. This can be done before the late notice is sent if you like. Give the tenant a notice that the late fees can build daily. Also inform the tenant that in 3 days we automatically go to the county clerks's office for eviction procedings plus the attorneys fee will be added to the balance owed.(only if 10 days notice was given)

Eviction Notice - this step we send a warning letter instructing the tenant to pay all rent and late fees before actually commencing eviction in court. We send it along with a Notice to Pay Rent or Demand for Payment. We also warn the tenants in the notice that we are about to make a negative impact on their credit record / eviction report.

Eviction Process - If the cure time in your eviction notice expires and the tenant has not paid, you must be ready to go forward with a court eviction. This means more cost but the longer the tennant is in the house the more money you lose. We will go to court on the date given by the court and prove our case to teh judge. Once the judge has decided the tenant will have 7 days to move or they will be evicted. After the 7 days the writ is available from the court which also cost more money which will actually have the tenant removed from the property.

When the tenant doesn't pay the rent, it is a serious matter not to be ignored. Many of us prefer to give the tenant another day and keep hoping that nothing is wrong because we don't want to believe anything is wrong. Just remember that the longer we give the tenant before trying to collect, the easier and more comfortable we make it for them to steal from us. The eviction process is exactly that, a process and it takes time. The longer you wait the more money you lose and the harder it is to get money from the tenant.