What to do when the tenant left without paying the rent
In some cases landlords give up too easily, like when it pertains to pursuing a tenant that skips out without paying the last couple months’ rental fee.
Landlords commonly feel totally helpless when pursuing a lawsuit against a bad lessee. Nevertheless, just how will the landlord collect from the deadbeat? 
Is it worth the hassle? The short answer is definitely yes if you have done your homework.
Backing down only motivates occupants to duplicate the problem with their future landlords. Eventually, it will catch up with them– but at some point the landlord needs to take action to collect and stop this person in their tracks. Make them pay what they owe you and stop this behavior.
Tenant not paying the rent do not lose your money
Protecting yourself from a deadbeat to eliminate the problems of losing money and having to go after them with legal action is what being a smart landlord is all about. And if not you’ll wish you had planned in advance. You’re far more likely to collect if the tenant turns into a deadbeat if you take the following steps before your renter ever moves in. This will stop a lot of worrying on your part.
Tips to shielding on your own from a deadbeat tenant not paying:
1. See to it the entire rental application is completed, require it do not jeopardize yourself, obtain the completed rental application, consisting of individual endorsement and emergency contacts. That information makes a path to their door, and makes collection feasible. Why? Because much of the information in the rental application can be invaluable to a collection agency trying to collect your financial obligation later, this is essential.
2. Validate the tenant’s Social Security Number. This may appear like a unnecessary information many proprietors, but if you wind up with a large debt to collect you will have a better chance. Texas allows you to obtain a court judgment against your former tenant, giving you the ability to collect from his assets the money owed. With this judgment in place, the chance of collecting the debt owed is vastly improved than without it. And again a valid Social Security Number is always required for a judgment.
3. See to it you obtain a photocopy of the tenant’s government-issued picture ID. Much like the Social Security Number, the details included in a government-issued image ID can be priceless to a collection agency.
4. Prior to the lessee moves into your property, have the renter provide you with 3 individual referrals and three emergency situation calls. Essentially, you will wish to verify that each of these is valid. The reason? Just like the notes above, this information will be vital to a debt collection agency in attempting to collect the debt for you.
5. Copy the first monthly rental fee check. Review each check versus that duplicate. When details adjustments, match that check, so you can know if they change their bank. Why? Since if you are required to obtain a court judgment, you could have the ability to access funds in the savings account. But if you don’t have that savings account details on data, best of luck obtaining the facts from your (now) ex-tenant! (Texas does law has recently changed and you cannot have bank account access so you cannot tell if they have sufficient money to cover the debt in their bank)
6. Keep detailed documents, which include rental payments and invoices for damages. This habit alone can make it much easier to gain a judgment against a bad renter.
Do not be misled that you cannot collect. A significant percent of lessees will certainly pay promptly once they recognize the property manager is going to aggressively pursue them for what is owed.
An additional mistake property managers make when managing debt collection is believing that once the debt is a few months’ old, or even years of ago, they think they are helpless to collect. Collection laws favor landlord when it pertains to collecting overdue rental fee. Lots of states enable the proprietor several years to collect this financial debt, after the former tenant has gotten back on their feet.
Contact a collection company to see if your old judgment debts are still collectible. Your lessee might think they have actually obtained away with ripping you off, however you may obtain the final victory!
Let’s hope you do not ever have to proceed to seek a debt collection. It’s never any enjoyable for anyone. However if you find on your own in that unfavorable scenario, you’ll be glad you planned in advance.
It’s time to send a Notice to Vacate to your tenant.
