As a landlord, the process of removing a tenant from your property (aka eviction) is governed by numerous rules and regulations which are designed to protect the tenant from being improperly evicted as well as the right of the landlord to lawfully remove tenants. The burden in the eviction process, however, is on the landlord and so it is critical to understand how the process works.
1) Are there proper grounds for evicting the tenant? Failure to pay rent is a prime example of a legitimate ground for eviction. Other grounds include where a person who is not listed on the rental agreement is found to be living on the premises, violation of the no-pets policy if there is one, and the tenant(s) are engaging in certain crimes such as selling drugs that threaten the living environment of other tenants. Improper grounds for eviction include evicting the tenant because they reported problems with the leased premises, and as a result, the tenant withholds payment due to identified and legitimate problems with the premises. Of course, eviction on the grounds of gender, race, religion, or disability, and other protected characteristics is absolutely prohibited.
2) Ensure that you as the landlord are in compliance. If there are code violations or other problems with the property, and those problems especially impact the tenant you are seeking to evict, it is best to get the code violations and other problems fixed prior to instigating the eviction. In some cases, the tenant’s failure to pay rent is directly due to the code violations or significant problems such as lack of heat or water. A landlord who attempts to evict on the grounds of non-payment who then turns out to be violating their own obligations under the lease will not likely get the relief they are seeking. Ensure that there are no grounds for the tenant to argue back that the eviction is improper due to the living conditions you are providing.
3) Let the tenant know there is a problem. Documentation is a big part of any eviction process, including that the violation occurred and that the tenant was notified of the problem. It is entirely possible to resolve the situation before the eviction process even gets started by notifying the tenant of the problem and giving them an opportunity to fix it. In fact, your lease may require that you give this notice and opportunity to cure the problem before escalating the matter to the court system. In the letter, identify the problem, point out the specific provision of the lease that is being violated, and give the tenant a certain amount of time to fix the problem. Send the letter via certified mail return receipt requested to be able to prove later on that the tenant received the letter, especially if nothing happens or is fixed in the time period given.
4) Consider meeting with an attorney who practices in the area of tenant law. Before heading into the eviction process, you should bring your concerns to an attorney who is well-versed in tenant law and evictions. An eviction attorney can review your documentation, your lease, and your evidence to determine if there are any potential problems or hindrances to a smooth eviction process.
Attorney Brian Chase has the extensive experience and knowledge of Florida landlord/tenant law that can cut landlords’ costs and court time. If you are looking to evict a tenant, contact Brian Chase for a consultation to learn your rights and responsibilities. Let’s make sure that you have all that you need to ensure a smooth eviction. We handle cases all over the state of Florida.