Should I evict or hope for the best?

[Chad Swinford]

I have an issue that I’m sure I’m not alone in. I need some help thinking through how I’m going to move forward with a tenant.

For context...I’ve owned rentals for 15 years and currently have 10.

With COVID, Indiana passed a moratorium on evictions which has recently been lifted. In my county, as in many in Indiana, there is an onslaught of evictions and my property manager is saying the courthouse stated evictions filed today will not be seen for at least 9 months.

Most of my units are doing great, but I have one where the tenant hasn’t paid a dime in three months due to “COVID related employment issues”. I have reason to believe they could pay at least some rent, but are choosing not to.

Do I roll the dice and hope that they begin to pay and eventually catch up on their $1,200/month rent, or file eviction now which is basically a guarantee that I won’t receive a dime for at least nine months?

Or do I take a completely different approach and knock on their door and try to make a deal with them?

What would you do?

[Adam Martin]

File to make sure he knows you are serious but let him know you are more than happy to drop it when he gets current.  The waiting list will not be worked through quickly so you may as well get in now.  Before you file though I would let him know if he leaves in the next 7 days on his own and the place is in good order he can get his deposit back and you will waive the debt, but if not you plan on collecting and this will make his search much harder.  You aren’t likely to collect it anyway and you can then focus on getting a good tenant.