Is it time for this tenant to go??

[Martin Neal]

I’ve had a tenant in place now for 6 months and they have only paid once on the 1st. They have technically been late every other time. 3 times they paid after the 5th which is when a late fee is applied by state law. This tenant is on a month to month lease so I’m thinking is time for them to go. How many more times should I put up with them being late with their rent?? They rarely communicate and when they do, it’s to lie about when the rent going to be paid or something needs to be fix. Everyone else tells me that it’s not going to get better so I should just issue a 30 day notice now. What do you think?? They keep the location nice and neat but I’m sure i can find someone who is less of a headache. Thanks for your advice in advance.

[Constancia R.]

What does your lease say about late fees? I would gladly take an extra $25 or whatever (if they pay it) for them being a few days late. If they are paying on the 10th or NOT paying the late fees, I would serve them notice. If they keep telling you something needs to be fixed when you call about the rent, they are just throwing up smoke screens.