Sacramento Tenant Stops Paying Rent? How to Handle Eviction

Today, we are going over the basic steps that may lead up to an eviction when a tenant stops paying rent. There are a couple of things you need to do right away to minimize any expense that comes along with the eviction process. 

First, contact the tenant. If you don’t receive rent and you have no explanation, make a phone call to find out what’s going on. Sometimes, it’s a simple error that can be easily fixed. Maybe the rent was mailed in, and it got lost. Or, perhaps the resident simply forgot to pay. When the issue is an easy one to fix, you should go ahead and take the time to do that so you don’t have to go through with the eviction. 

If your phone calls go unanswered and you still have no explanation for why rent has not been paid, you serve a Three Day Notice to Pay or Quit. As we have discussed in a previous blog, it’s never a good idea to include late fees or other charges in your Three Day Notice. That will only confuse the issue. Your Notice should require rent only, and it should give the resident three days to catch up.

If the Three Day Notice doesn’t work and time is up, you will need to move forward with the eviction. At this point, we recommend you refer the problem to an attorney who is experienced in evictions and knows the procedure well. Evictions can be complicated and even the slightest error can have consequences for you, so get an attorney. 

Some property management companies will cover attorney fees when you have to file for eviction. When you begin working with a property manager, find out what kind of protection is included against the costs of an eviction process. 

If you have any questions about eviction, or you’d like more information on how a property manager can help you handle it, please contact us at Sacramento Delta Property Management.