First things first… What exactly is a bad tenant? Obvious bad tenants are those that break all rules. Loud music into the night, dealing drugs, rude or inappropriate behavior can all label someone a bad tenant. However, a true bad tenant might be that individual that fails to vacate a property after eviction. One whose behavior is so disruptive that a landlord or property manager has no alternative but to evict is undeniably a bad tenant.
Evictions are always a challenge, regardless the situation. A very quiet and seemingly normative family may fall vastly behind on rent and force an eviction or you have those truly bad tenants that are so disruptive a landlord is forced to evict. The key, obviously, is to prevent eviction from occurring in the first place but that can be a challenge in its own right.
Maintaining a safe and secure property is certainly key in preventing bad tenants.
A landlord in San Bernardino recently faced the challenge of bad tenants when a gun fight broke out which injured eight people.
From ABC7.com (Sep 07, 18):
Lawhead said violence in apartment buildings is a problem all across the city. It’s a problem the department is now making a top priority by strengthening their crime-free, multi-housing plan.
He said it starts with the landlords.
“We have a number of property owners that do the minimum. We shouldn’t have to come in and tell you who your bad tenants are, you should be doing good enough work on the front end to identify your bad tenants and get them out of the complex,” he said. abc7.com/san-bernardino-police-focus-efforts-on-apartments-after-recent-shooting/4178176/
Creating a safe environment for existing and potential tenants goes a long way. A property with 24-hour security and surveillance could greatly reduce certain bad tenants.
Yet, evictions are often difficult for landlords especially with bad tenants.
In Washington DC a rash of bad tenants continues to frustrate local landlords and the good tenants.
From WashingtonTimes.com (Aug 30, 18):
…attorney Emilie Fairbanks, who specializes in landlord-tenant issues, said it’s a “fault of D.C. law” that bad tenants are difficult to evict. Not even restraining orders or criminal convictions can expedite the eviction process, which can take up to a year, she said.
Dorene Haney of the law firm Nathan A. Neal & Dorene M. Haney noted that D.C. law allows problem tenants the opportunity to mend their ways before being evicted. An eviction can be halted if a tenant ceases his or her disruptive or non-compliant behavior within 30 days of being served an eviction notice by a landlord, she said. washingtontimes.com/news/2018/aug/30/dc-residents-have-little-help-in-dealing-with-bad-/
In light of all this the question remains… What can a landlord or property manager really do to solve the issue of bad tenants?
The answer is… It may be impossible to completely eliminate bad tenants. But prevention may be possible.
It is recommended that landlords work with local police in creating a safe environment for a rental property, create a professional and compliant process for vetting potential tenants, and providing regular and standard upkeep to a property.
Additionally, a thorough tenant background check one with reference checks, eviction record checks and criminal background checks review would greatly benefit the tenant selection process. And working with a well-qualified tenant screening agency remains a best practice for that process.
To learn more about what makes a tenant a bad tenant and how to resolve issues with bad tenants read recent TenantScreeningUSA.com press release: Bad Tenants Will Always Challenge Landlords and Property Managers