Tenant trouble in 4-plex (Austin)

[Bhaskar Upadhyayula]

Hello All,

I'm a first time owner of a 4-plex in Austin. I bought the property couple of months back and inherited 3 tenants (and 1 vacancy). All tenants have long term lease (mid to late 2019). I examined their lease, rent rolls etc from previous owner and did my "due diligence".

Tenants in one unit are having personal issues (marital problems), financial issues (loss of job) and domestic violence problems. They have been late in paying rents in last two months and pretty much said they can't pay December's rent. 

I would like to initiate eviction process and conveyed this to tenants. I want to seek advise from the community on following:

1. Is eviction the only recourse now?

2. If so, is there a inexpensive, legal alternative to break the lease and tenants part ways with us, instead of eviction?

3. If formal eviction is only move, can you please recommend a lawyer in Austin that I can work with?

Thank you.

[Nathan Gesner]

@Bhaskar Upadhyayula eviction is definitely an option. However, it adds expenses and trouble and it appears the tenants won't be able to pay anyway so it's probably a waste of time.

Talk to them. Tell them you understand they can't pay the rent and you really don't want to evict them but you need the income to pay the mortgage. Offer to let them out of the lease if they can move out within seven days. If they agree, be sure to put it in writing!!! Make sure it has a definitive end date and a short reminder that if they fail to be out by the agreed date then you will initiate eviction and seek a judgment for every penny owed.

Get them out, use the deposit to cover the unpaid rent, cleaning, and repairs. This will minimize your losses and the work required. Then you can focus on finding a new tenant and starting fresh.