Tampa Property Management Tip #5 – Always Check Rental Before Filing Eviction

Okay, when the inevitable eviction arises, you should make a point of checking your rental to make sure the tenant is still living there. Hopefully, you have given the proper 3 day notice, as the property manager, the day after the rent was due. After the three day notice, you should be calling your tenant to find out why they haven’t paid rent. Make sure you do not just make one call and stop. If people are late with rent, they are usually embarrassed and reluctant to call back. Be polite and firm and leave 3 messages over a few days. If they normally are late, I often extend the eviction date to the 15th of the month or later

No matter what, you, as the property manager, should be calm and polite when making these calls.  I am not saying be a pushover, but you do not want to yell and scream either.  Angry tenants can do a tremendous amount of damage to a rental.  Do no engage in a debate with them either.  Listen to their story once and make your decision on whether you will extend the due date on their rent or file eviction immediately.  You should stick to that decision, express it to them politely, and get off the phone.

We usually follow up with a letter and wait 3 or 4 days.  After the waiting period, you should go over and confirm the people are still living there.

It is very frustrating and expensive to file an eviction that might cost $600 when the tenant has already moved out.   Some Tampa Property Management companies will say that you should file the eviction anyway but that is insane.  It will take at least 30-45 days to complete the eviction and you are losing rent the whole time plus the eviction costs.  You want to be darn sure the tenant has decided to remain before filing eviction papers.

You do not have to make 3 calls after the 3 day notice and send a letter.  It is just good business to do so because you can often collect the rent.  However, you always want to check the tenant is still there before filing the eviction. I skipped checking on the tenant several times and it costs me thousands of dollars.  It is well worth the time for a Tampa property management company to have somone jump in the car and drive over to confirm.