Major repair with tenant in

[Nanda Netto]

Hi guys.

Landlord question:

We have a two story duplex in a C/C- neighbor in Orlando FL. Our upstairs tenant has been complaining about the staircase conditions since she moved in January.

We had it scheduled to be replaced and it’s finally happening. Contractor said it will take about 2-3 days. We gave notice to the tenant so she can make arrangements to stay someplace else and she is saying “that is not going to happen” because she doesn’t have anywhere else to go (we know as a fact her mother in law lives across the street in a big house).

Anyways, that tenant is on default since April. She was only out of work for 2 weeks but refuses to pay the rents because she said she knows she doesn’t have to (we know, topic for another discussion, but it’s just to illustrate her character).

What can we do?

She obviously can’t stay there locked in upstairs without stairs. What if she refuses to leave when the stairs need to be removed?