To Evict or not to Evict? That is the question.

We manage nearly 700 units and we hear every story you can imagine from my dog ate the rent check, oh yea we dropped off the money in your drop box, I thought my room mate paid the rent, I am not paying rent I saw small piece of mold in the basement I am calling the health department to I have been diagnosed with cancer.  I may sound heartless but you have to treat this like a business. I have worked with a tenant who had cancer and we did let her go for 4 months just because i felt horrible but at some point we had to evict that tenant. She was a wonderful person and a great tenant for many years. This is a business and if you told your mortgage company an excuse it makes no difference what that excuse is they want their money. If you stop making your mortgage payment they take action regardless of whats going on in your life.Your rule should be take your time and screen your tenants very well before approving and when they are not paying rent dont hesitate to act quickly and start the due process. You will find that more often than not tenants will take advantage of you and push you as far as they can. If you want any type of balance in your life and a business that serves you and you not serving the business then you need to control the tenant. Treat them with respect, be fair but also be firm when you need to be. We set up payment plans with tenants who fall behind all the time and the moment they dont stick to the plan we start eviction. Sometimes we even start the eviction anyway but as long as they stick to the plan we wont execute the possession.