You will have to look at your provincial rules, or contact a legal specialist, to determine if being late 30% of the time is grounds for you to seek an eviction order. But you also have to consider the practical side. An eviction will take some time, and the tenant may decide to stop paying altogether, or do damage to the rental property. Which is most always the main issue. If it is possible to talk to the tenant and work something out short of an eviction, that could be in your best interests.
This is where your relationship skills mater. Working with people to a successful conclusion is always best. Reminding the tenant that you will need to provide a reference to his or her next landlord could provide incentive to pay on time. Be careful how you treat each late payment. A landlord can actually train a tenant to be habitually late with the rent. Behaviours that encourage late rent include:
- Not laying down the law from the beginning of the lease about when rent is due, no exceptions.
- Allowing several late payments in a row without any action.
- Not depositing tenant rent cheques right away – tenants interpret that as a sign the landlord doesn’t need the money on time. It is also important to treat all late paying renters the same way to avoid the appearance of discrimination.
- Sometimes landlords pay a small sum of money to the tenant — called “cash-for-keys”, as incentive for the tenant’s agreement rather than incurring the expense of an eviction. This option works best in a good rental market, where you are not likely to have a prolonged vacancy while you look for a new tenant.
Comments(3)