Landlords wear many hats when dealing with tenants. Unfortunately, one of those hats is a bill collector.
If you work in this service profession, you might have to serve a tenant with a 3-day eviction notice.
Removing a tenant who refuses to pay as promised provides the landlord with a sense of relief. Yes, the process is grievous for both parties, but it protects your income in the end.
Plus, you safeguard the property from damage and other costs that may arise in the future.
Are you a landlord who wants to know how to serve a 3-day eviction notice to a tenant? Keep reading and learn all you need to know about the process.
What Is a 3-Day Eviction Notice?
An eviction is a civil process handled by the local courts in your state. This legal procedure allows a landlord to remove a tenant from a property for a good cause.
If the court agrees, you may serve the tenant with a 3-day notice to vacate the property. Some common good causes for a 3 day eviction notice are:
- Refusal to pay the monthly rental premium as promised
- Violation of the lease agreement
- Damage to the property
- Participation in illegal or illicit activity—drug trafficking, human trafficking, etc.
Any behavior that violates the lease agreement gives a landlord the right to pursue eviction. In some states, there are tenancy-at-will agreements. These are month-to-month agreements where there is no lease agreement.
Landlords can evict at will in these states as long as the eviction isn’t based on discrimination or retaliation. This is why many landlords have hired a private investigator to know more about their tenants; if you want to do that, please visit Bond Rees LTD, or a similar company in your area for more information. Please note, not all states permit the 3-day notice to vacate the premises.
How to Serve the Eviction Notice
There are several ways a landlord may serve an eviction notice. The first is through a process server. If you don’t have a good relationship with the tenant, it may be best to have a third party serve the notice.
A process server is an administrator who delivers legal documents. These legal documents inform people that they’re involved in a court case. In an eviction, a process server advises tenants of the civil eviction process by serving them with a 3-day notice.
A second way of notifying a tenant of eviction is by certified mail. Certified mail gives the landlord a return receipt. In most cases, this is the most effective form of notification.
Some states allow the landlord to post the notice on the tenant’s door. Beware, this method leaves room for error. The notice may blow away, or the tenant may say they never say the notice of the door.
Pros and Cons of Eviction
There are many pros and cons to eviction. As the landlord, you get to protect the interest of your property and finances.
For the tenant, their rental record and credit get marred. They may get turned down by other landlords due to a past eviction. Some families never recover from eviction and end up destabilized or homeless.
Sometimes, working out a payment plan with a tenant works better than eviction.
In the End
Serving a 3-day eviction notice is a taxing and emotional process, especially if the issue is strictly financial. Exhaust other viable options first. Check with your state to receive the final ruling on evictions in your area.
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