Los Angeles RSO Eviction advice

[Peter Felton]

Hi all,

I recently purchased a four unit property in Los Angeles (Boyle Heights neighborhood, under RSO) to house hack. I inherited tenants in two of the units, one of which has been a significant source of stress and difficulty from day one. 

They have trashed the unit as well as common areas and have a ton of junk stored in the driveway. 

After sending the tenant several written and verbal warnings about the junk with no success, my insurance threatened to cancel my policy if the junk was not removed. At that point I lawyered up and served the tenant a three day notice to cure or quit. I have documented all my contact with this tenant and have photos etc that the lawyer used to create the notice.

This is not about getting the tenant out to raise the rent - she’s actually paying about market rent. However the damage to the property has been a huge life stressor and I am anxious to get the unit repaired and into decent condition. 

Note: First time investor here! Any and all advice is appreciated. I’ve got many years of job salary savings in this deal, so I will make it work! 

Based on what I’ve read, if the tenant does remove the junk within three days I may have a tough time moving forward on the eviction, since the stored junk is the main piece of hard evidence I have of the tenant breaking the lease agreement.

Any LA investors have experience with this type of eviction? 

I will keep you updated once the three days are up and as I go through this process. 

Thanks for reading! Despite the stress, I’m happy and excited to be learning, even if it is a bit of a sink or swim situation :)

[KJ L.]

I've done a different type of eviction in Los Angeles (removing rental unit from market for family use and the eviction was not a walk in the park -_-). Ultimately, as you've been told - document EVERYTHING and take lots of photos, keep copies of notices, and keep your lawyer up to date. You do have a right to demand that the tenant keeps the property safe and clean. Even if you feel exhausted dealing with the tenant, do not give up. If you want them out sooner, talk to your lawyer about doing a cash for keys deal with the tenant and get them out. The headache factor is not worth it. Good luck