Terminating a lease

[Bill H.]

Hello All,

I bought a property about 18 months ago with an existing tenant. I screened her and decided to keep her. She's consistently paid slow, but she's never been more than 2 weeks late...until now. I've lost my patience with her due to the late rent and lack of communication. But I want to make sure I handle the lease termination as efficiently as property.

She hasn't paid September's rent. I mailed her a late notice on Sept. 10 and she's on a MONTH TO MONTH lease. How much notice do I have to give her from this point to terminate the lease? I'm in Maryland.

I appreciate the help and I absolutely believe Bigger Pockets is, by far, the best resource for RE investors!

[Chris K.]

Originally posted by Bill H.:

Sorry Jon, I left out a key piece of info- I believe I'll get September's rent in the next few days. If that's the case, should I still terminate the lease with 30 days notice or follow Jon's advice when she's late again in October and begin the eviction process?

My thought process is that it would simpler and cheaper to terminate, rather than evict?

Do you really want her gone or are you just CYA in case she completely stops paying. Don't terminate the lease unless you're sure you want her gone. I was in the same exact boat as you, she paid consistently late but personally I'd take her paying late than having to put her out, repair and rerent. It's definitely a tough decision cause you could put her out and wind up with someone the same or worse.