Florida's eviction filings exceeded a 10-year high in 2023.
As a Punta Gorda landlord, you never set out to evict one of your tenants at the start of a new tenancy. Unfortunately, when it's a choice between keeping a problem tenant and preserving your investment property, you need to choose your property.
There are things you can do, however, to curb the possibility of having to evict someone. Coming up with eviction protection plans can both prevent and deter poor tenant actions that lead to evictions. Keep reading and we'll tell you how to formulate the perfect eviction protection plan in 2024.
Understand Eviction Law
Every state has unique eviction laws, and Florida is no different. Before you start planning for eviction protection, it's best to familiarize yourself with the laws in the event you do need to carry an eviction out.
In Florida, the main eviction laws have to do with sending notices. You can evict someone for failure to pay rent or a variety of different lease violations. Sending the proper notice for the particular violation is crucial in properly starting the eviction process.
Nonpayment of rent is served with a 3-day notice to pay or quit. Lease violations, on the other hand, are served with a 7-day notice to cure or quit. If the lease violation has no cure, you send a 7-day unconditional quit notice.
Perform Tenant Screening
When it comes to eviction protection, the best method is prevention and the best way to do that is with tenant screening. The idea behind thorough tenant screening is to find a tenant that you can trust, thus avoiding the possibility of eviction.
Tenant screening hinges on a tenant background check. This will look into an applicant's financial and criminal history to determine whether they can afford the unit and if they're responsible enough to live in it.
The other thing you can do is contact an applicant's character references. Speaking to a former landlord, in particular, can give you a strong indication of whether the applicant will be a good fit in the unit.
Deterrence Through Inspections
Deterrence is the other tactic you can use to mitigate evictions. The best way to deter poor tenant behavior is to collect a security deposit at the start of a tenancy, and then perform regular inspections throughout the tenancy.
Security deposits act as insurance against nonpayment of rent, as well as property damage. If the tenant costs you money in any way, you can reimburse yourself using the security deposit.
Property inspections help you figure out if a tenant is breaking the lease terms. Perform them every few months to look for signs of property damage, unauthorized tenants, or pets.
Property Management and Eviction Protection Plans
Good eviction protection plans make it easier and more enjoyable to run a rental property. It can also be a lot of work to prevent evictions. If you're finding this to be the case, it's time to hire property management.
A good property manager, like PMI Heartland Realty, can deal with everything discussed here. We'll even give you eviction protection services so that you never have to pay out of pocket for the costs of evictions. Contact us today to find out how it works.
