Lease enforcement is an often difficult part of being a professional landlord. After all, every lease is an agreement between you and the tenant.
You agree to maintain the property, and they agree to pay the rent and not cause damage or disruption to the community they are living in. However, sometimes the tenant might not hold up their side of the bargain.
In this case, you may need to resort to certain lease enforcement strategies to ensure compliance and to restore your relationship with the tenant. If you own a rental property in Kansas City, MO, here's our expert landlord advice on lease enforcement.
Eviction is a Last Resort
It's important to stress that eviction should only be sought once all other options have failed. Hasty evictions can result in serious legal implications for you as a landlord, and erode your rental income well into the future.
Evictions are up across Missouri, and the reasons for this are complex. However, this doesn't mean that you should jump in and go straight to eviction proceedings, especially without a very good reason to do so.
Know the Law
As mentioned, there are legal implications if you get your lease management and enforcement wrong. It is essential that you know exactly what the rights of the tenant are before you begin any lease enforcement activities.
Missouri law is very clear about the notice periods you need to give and how you should approach disputes with your tenants. Always prioritize your own compliance when it comes to rental real estate.
Understand Your Own Lease
With that in mind, it's worth checking what you signed up for. This is how you can confirm whether or not a tenant's behavior actually constitutes a lease violation and what you can do about it. Your lease might include a broad range of violations beyond nonpayment of rent.
Perhaps your lease prohibits pets on the property, has provisions around late-night noise, or stipulates that subletting is not permitted. Remember, if a tenant is doing something they agreed not to when they signed the lease, that's a violation.
Fair Warnings and Proceedings
No matter what, your first step with the tenant is to provide a fair, reasonable, and timely warning. You are legally required to inform a tenant that they have failed to pay their rent and offer them an opportunity to rectify this, before beginning any proceedings against them.
You also need to provide a written warning of any lease violations, and you should give them a chance to acknowledge and resolve this. If your tenant is engaging in sustained, repeated lease violations, then you can begin legal proceedings against them.
We Offer Compliant and Fair Lease Enforcement in Kansas City, MO
Lease enforcement is legally complex, fraught, and often very time-consuming. To get it right, you should always consult experts who can manage the process on your behalf. For this, we have got you covered.
At PMI Fountain City, we offer extensive, local expertise in lease management. We have a track record of successful management and enforcement, and we always prioritize good tenant relations. Get in touch to find out exactly how we can help.
