You may be tempted, as a landlord, to use the power of eviction often. Maybe a tenant is impolite to you and you don’t get along, so you want to throw them out of the unit. Maybe you find someone else you’d rather rent to. Can you evict tenants at your discretion?
You can’t. Your tenant signed a lease, and they have a right to live in that space. You can’t just tell them you’re kicking them out early without a valid reason to do so. This would not be fair to tenants and could significantly disrupt their lives.
7 reasons you may evict a tenant
That said, the power to evict is real. You don’t have to let tenants live in your property regardless of what they do. Here are seven reasons you may use to evict a tenant:
- The tenant is always making their payments late.
- The tenant is not paying their rent at all.
- The tenant is using the property for something illegal.
- The tenant is causing massive damage to the property that goes well beyond normal wear and tear.
- The lease has ended and the tenant refuses to move out, even though you don’t want to rent to them for another lease term.
- The tenant is causing problems in a multi-unit space and disrupting others who live there.
- The tenant has violated the terms of the lease, perhaps by having a pet or subletting without permission.
Most evictions start with payment issues, but not all. Regardless of your reasons, be sure you know what your legal options are. An attorney can help you protect your rights as a landlord without violating the tenant’s rights.