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Landlords should use precautions with tenants

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams Preferred Realty

Recently I read a blog about tenants and how some of them respond to their landlords. I can relate to that. I used to own a Property Management company with more than 50+ units and I have seen some crazy things.

The tenants have a lot of rights and whether they are behind in rent, not paying, or trashing the place - you need to be very careful and follow the "Landlord/Tenant" laws for your city and/or state. In North Carolina, once you have filed for eviction with the court, the tenant still has time to vacate and that time can be prolonged depending on the circumstances. 

Landlords should use precautions with tenants. When going to the property that the tenant(s) are currently living in, the landlord should, if possible,  give a 24 hour notice. When you do go to the property, try to have someone go with you. Some tenants may accuse you of stealing their personal items if you go while they are not at home. That's another reason why you want someone to go with you - to be a witness. You may even want to take photos (with the correct date) or video in case you need to provide evidence in court.

I have had tenants to pretty much destroy the homes that they were living in before they left. I learned the hard way that if you do not possess before and after evidence, you are out of luck and out of pocket.

* Not all tenants or landlords are alike - some are better than others. But there is no reason not to be safe than sorry!

Kaushik Sirkar
Call Realty, Inc. - Chandler, AZ
Landlords should be extra cautious.  Get a healthy security deposit....make sure they have decent credit, check references, etc!  A little vacancy is better than a really bad tenant!
May 21, 2007 10:15 AM
Keith Pate
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC
Kaushik - great point of view. Also, security deposits and first months rent should be in the form of a money order or cash. Thanks for the comment.
May 21, 2007 12:00 PM
Leslie Prest
Leslie Prest, Prest Realty, Sales and Rentals in Payson, AZ - Payson, AZ
Owner, Assoc. Broker, Prest Realty, Payson,
In AZ we have to give "2 days notice" according to the law to access a property. Absolutely the most important thing is being in compliance with the laws. We screen very hard- turn down a LOT of propspective tenants- the cheapest and easiest eviction is the one you don't have to do because you didn't rent to the people in the first place.
May 22, 2007 05:57 AM
Keith Pate
Keller Williams Preferred Realty - Raleigh, NC

Leslie - Thank you for your comment. Two days is a good time frame too. I learned a valuable lesson with screening tenants. I did pretty good at screening (or at least I thought I did) and ended up with the longest, most drawn out court case I have ever had. Long story short, get security deposit and first or last months rent in CASH or MONEY ORDER!

May 22, 2007 06:26 AM