Property Management Blog

How to Handle Evicting a Tenant in Winter Park | Professional Property Management Advice

Alvin Moore - Tuesday, October 11, 2016

When you’re evicting a tenant in the central Florida area, you need to follow a very detailed and specific process. The first thing you have to understand about eviction is that you want to try to prevent it if at all possible.

When you’re collecting late rent, make sure the tenant understands it’s not a personal issue. You have a mortgage to pay and goals to meet or someone you have to report to. Try to make the tenants understand that you will do everything you can to work with them.

Contacting the Tenant

The first thing you want to do when rent isn’t paid is to reach out to the tenants. Give them a call and ask what you can do to help get them back on track. Find out when they will be able to pay the rent, and ask them to sign a promise to pay document if they think they will be able to pay at a later date. See if they can provide a portion of the rent now so you’re sure everyone is on the same page. You can include a stipulation from an attorney or the court at any time during an eviction.

Three Day Notice

After you contact the tenants, the next thing to do is serve a Three Day Notice. Explain that you have to take them to court, even if it’s a good tenant and you’re confident they will catch up with the rent. You can have a great relationship with the tenants, and perhaps they have even signed a promise to pay, but this notice is going to cover you. Good people can lose jobs, have medical situations, and face eviction.

Property Management Winter Park and Legal Help

If you do have to evict, use an attorney. If the tenants contest the eviction, your attorney can make sure every step is done correctly and you aren’t left with a nonpaying tenant in your property longer than necessary. If you decide to move forward with the eviction yourself, know what you’re doing. Follow the process diligently, and get to the court when necessary. Contact an Orlando property management company or a manager in Winter Park if you need help or have questions.

Turn the Property Quickly

After the Sheriff serves the papers and you can change the locks, get your contractors and vendors in place right away. You prorate the rent every day, so every day it takes you to repair the property is a day you’re losing rent. Get in there as soon as possible, get an estimate on your repairs, and get your contractor to tell you exactly how long it will take. When you’re working with reliable contractors who you can trust, this isn’t a problem.

If you need help with an eviction or have any questions about Winter Park property management, please contact us at MoreHouse Realty.