One of the biggest fears many Roseville landlords face is that their tenant doesn’t pay rent. This problem illustrates the importance of screening tenants thoroughly. Look for someone with a record of paying rent on time. If you do find yourself in a situation where rent isn’t coming in, follow these steps to resolve the situation and, if necessary, evict your tenant.
Communicate with Your Tenant
Sometimes, a tenant will simply forget to pay rent or overlook it. Call or email your tenant to find out what has happened and when you can expect to receive payment. If your tenant is willing to talk to you and offer an explanation, there’s a good chance you will receive rent and everyone can move on. Be professional but friendly. You don’t want to sound like an angry debt collector when you reach out.
Serve a Three Day Notice
If your tenant refuses to talk to you or you don’t receive a payment when the tenant promised you would, the next step is to serve a Three Day Notice to Pay or Quit. This is a legal notice that triggers the beginning of the eviction process. The tenants have the opportunity to catch up and pay the rent without any further consequences.
Serving the notice properly is important. There are three ways to do this.
- Personal service, where you serve the notice directly to the tenant.
- Substituted service, where you serve the notice to another person at the property who is at least 18 years old.
- Posting and mailing, which requires you to post the notice on the door and then mail a copy to the tenant.
The notice must include a specific amount of money that needs to be paid and instructions on how to pay it.
Filing for Eviction
If the three day notice period expires and you still have not received rent, you can move forward with filing an eviction. This is never a good situation for anyone, and it’s a good idea to hire a property manager or an attorney who is experienced in evictions. It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re evicting a tenant, and even a simple oversight could result in your case being thrown out. Without the right guidance, your eviction will take longer and cost more.
A good tenant will pay rent on time and respond immediately if they fall behind. Screen your tenants well so you can reduce the risk of having to remove a nonpaying tenant from your property. If you have any questions about eviction or property management in Roseville, please contact us at Sunburst Properties. We offer professional property management in Roseville, Folsom, Rocklin, Citrus Heights, Granite Bay, Sacramento and the surrounding areas.
