All Forum Posts by: Justin Johnson

First time landlord here, of 12 months. Talk about baptism by fire - literally! My rental property went up in flames today. Tentatively investigator says it was an accidental fire caused by one of the tenants cigarettes. Thankfully they have renters insurance and I have home owners insurance. The house is not livable, but the tenants still have keys and are able to get in. So, I guess my biggest question is how long do I allow them access to get their stuff? Any other questions to ask my insurance agent or tenants? Thanks!

That’s my question. Is it easier to go to the city with an expired 30 days to vacate notice or an eviction notice? Is one faster than the other or easier to win in court.

I have problem tenants on a month to month lease. What is the best/fastest/cheapest way to get them out? 30 day notice to vacate, 5 day eviction notice for nonpayment or 10 day eviction notice for lease violation? I have served 5 day eviction notice for non payment for May (and 5 days have past). They have a fish which is a violation of no pet policy. Or, I could try to get one more rent payment (I expect to come this week), then serve them the 30 day notice to vacate by end of June. I fully expect they won’t pay the last month they live there. I’m in Illinois if it makes a difference.

Bought my first SF rental in 2017. Was excited to begin doing my taxes and deduct all my expenses I spent in re-hab, travel, etc. Turbo tax is indicating that if you make over $150k then rental deductions are not allowed? Is that correct? Tax savings is supposed to be one of the greatest benefits of being a landlord. Would hate to miss out on it.

Can someone hold my hand and walk me through the eviction process step by step? My understanding is that it is not too difficult (although I have read the nightmare stories) and can be done without a lawyer. Please give a step by step. Here is what I think I know... 1. Serve 5 day eviction notice. Proper forms and wording necessary. Must be delivered in accordance with local laws. Also have a second copy of these documents signed and notarized? Where do I find my local county laws? 2. File complaint with county. Do I need any documentation that I served a 5 day notice for this step? Is there a cost to file a complaint? 3. Sheriff serves the tenants with a court date. Will this be automatic after certain time frame following the county complaint is filed? Or do I need to contact the court to set up a date after a certain time frame? 4. Day in Court. I understand that if tenant shows up that automatically qualifies them for a grace period for another court date? Or at least gives them several days/weeks to move out? Or will a judgement be made on this day? Any additional tips and advice you can give is helpful. Thank you!

Tenants finally borrowed money from a family member to pay September rent (plus $105 in late fees, even though I only asked for $75). Luckily at lease signing I collected 1st AND last month rent plus security deposit so I do have a little flexibility. Did a walk through of the property after 3 months of them there and they are taking care of the place. The boyfriend is a construction worker/handy man and fixed the air conditioner that went out this week and they are doing so minor fixes/updates around the house. Willing to give them the benefit if they are taking care of the house and even making it better. They claim there is a large five figure check that is waiting to clear from a big construction project so they will have no problem repaying family AND getting back on track with rent. Here's to hoping....

Matthew Olszak up to two months for a court date!?

Matthew Olszak This property is in Boone County. Admittedly, I did not have an attorney review my lease. I will definitely be changing that paragraph going forward! At this point I think I will need to contact an attorney to see what the next step is. Although tenants have said "100% for sure will pay tomorrow." And they "have a large check waiting to clear that will cover October." This is my first experience landlording - only 3 months in. Hoping to survive it and then change the lease for the future. As for "signing an affidavit" for posting an eviction, do I just type something up that says the date/time I delivered and have it notarized?

What's my next move if my tenant won't sign for the certified mail that includes their eviction notice? My lease agreement states that notices will be sent via certified mail. I can check the tracking that says "delivery attempted" I assume that's enough to take to the city to file the eviction?

Jennifer T. Thanks for your thoughts. This is almost exactly what I plan on telling the tenant. I'm fine waiving fees just to get them out by the end of the month!