Evictions during the holidays?

There is an on-going joke that I love to evict people because I’ve had to do it more than once. I can see someone buying this pin for me.

But to set the record straight, I do not love evicting people. I love having good tenants who pay their rent on time and don’t destroy the property. That is much more profitable!

Nothing sounds more Scrooge-like than to be faced with evicting a tenant during the Holiday season. But this is a situation every landlord needs to consider, and to put it into perspective, ask yourself this: Would the bank be okay with you not paying your mortgage because it’s the holidays? Obviously, no. Holidays or not, paying for the roof over one’s head should be first priority. It’s terrible to see renters who don’t pay rent around the holidays and have a sad story to tell the landlord. The landlord has a heart and doesn’t file for rent court, believing that the rent will be paid just a little late. Then weeks, or even months, go by and the landlord finally files court papers only to later find out the lovely Christmas that the tenants had with tons of fancy gifts.

If you’re running a charity, then by all means, provide free housing. But I’m sure you are here because you’re looking to build your rental INCOME. This means this is a business and you should treat it as a business. It doesn’t mean you have to be rude, angry, or take it personally when rent isn’t paid. But it does mean that you should stand by your expectations, stay neutral, and file for rent court as soon as rent is late. There may be the occasional exception on late rent from an otherwise good tenant who has always paid on time. But remember, the further you allow the rent to get behind, the more money you are losing and the more difficult it will be for your renter to get caught up.

Know your local rental laws ahead of time. Don’t wait until you’re in this situation! A person not paying their bills brings trouble upon themselves; never feel guilty for doing what you have to do in your business. Besides, no evictions ever happen on Christmas Day. And in some places, evictions also do not happen on days where the expected temperature will be freezing or below. So think of these Scrooge-like decisions you may have to make as a Landlord, and don’t mistake protecting your assets and streams of income that you’ve worked hard for as being an evil person.