Tenant Eviction – What to do when my Concord, California Tenant Stops Paying Rent

Our topic today is evictions, which is an important subject and something you will hopefully never have to experience. We are going to tell you a little bit about the process, but it’s important for you to remember that the most important thing you can do to avoid evictions is take control up front. When you do a thorough tenant screening, you can be sure you’re getting an excellent tenant in place and you won’t have any problems down the road that may lead to eviction.
 
If you do have a problem, and you suddenly find yourself not getting a rent check or a rental payment, the first thing you want to do is call the tenant. Find out why rent has not been paid yet and when you can expect it. Perhaps there is a good reason for why it’s late; the bonus check they were expecting at work hasn’t arrived yet, or there is some other explanation. Maybe they will tell you they’re able to pay on the 15th. Usually, we will give the tenants a chance and let them do that.
 
Having a good relationship with your tenants means they will pay when they say they will. At Astound Property Management, we have great relationships in place, so usually they will call us if they’re going to be late. The important thing is to stay in contact with your tenants at all times.
 
When there’s a serious problem and you can’t get in touch with your tenants, and rent gets later and later, you have to post a 3 Day Notice. This lets the tenant know the situation is serious and it always gets their attention. File that 3 Day Notice without delay when you cannot get a response from your tenants.
 
Finally, you’ll have to go a little further if the 3 Day Notice doesn’t result in an immediate payment. At that point, you should contact an attorney and prepare to face the eviction process. Hopefully, it won’t go that far. Maybe you can talk to the tenant and get them to move out before you have to evict. That’s a possibility if you don’t want to go to court. We see eviction as a last resort because it’s expensive and time consuming.
 
We would be happy to further discuss with you the eviction process and its alternatives. If you have any questions or you’d like more information, please contact us at Astound Property Management.