When one hears of a bad rental experience, it is often on the side of the tenant’s. Yet what many do not realize is the difficulty countless landlords in Missouri face when attempting to resolve tenant issues. When a tenant refuses to pay rent, vandalizes the property or is a nuisance to neighbors, landlords must step up to the plate. In the meantime, there are some pointers landlords can turn to in challenging times.
Financial resource Money Crashers shares a few of these pointers, noting that landlord-tenant issues are an aspect that most landlords experience at least a time or two. The most common problem, according to Money Crashers, involves late, or nonexistent, rental payments. Should this occur, landlords could create a structured payment process, such as partial weekly payments. This option could benefit everyone involved, as tenants often struggle to pay bills. Another common issue is that of bad tenants — because rental applications and simple credit checks do not reveal all of the fine print, landlords can choose to conduct a background check. This step could ensure that a tenant is trustworthy and responsible, and could save time and money in the long run.
Sometimes, even a background check does not catch an unruly or dishonest tenant. Pocket Sense, another online financial resource, shares that there are options landlords can consider when these unpleasant rental situations arise, including:
- Raising price of rent
- Threatening eviction
- Refusing to renew lease
These options may seem abrasive at first, but Pocket Sense encourages landlords to remain firm in pressing times. Raising the rent could dissuade renters from renewing their lease; if renewal is not an option whatsoever, a solution may be simple. Threatening eviction is an option that most landlords are also aware of. These may not be life’s most exciting times, but handling a landlord-tenant issue promptly and appropriately can save the headaches and open the doors for more reliable renters.