Posted by ToolBar_SC on December 01, 2000 at 10:09:34:
I agree with JohnBoy on the length of time. I’ve had renters that have given me every excuse under the sun to try and explain why they don’t have the rent. I have one pat answer for any and all excuses. My answer cuts them off of trying to drag me into their problems and pulling at my heart strings.
My pat answer is…“Well maybe you just can’t afford to live here anymore. If your out by x days I’ll forgive the late payment and this months rent. If I have to evict I’ll demand eveything that you agreed to in the rental contract.”
They usually come up with part of the money on the spot and we work out getting the rest, including late payment, BEFORE the next months rent is due.
You have to be willing to evict on Christmas day (as I was six years ago with one of my renters). That renter, by the way, is still with me and in six years has had only one other occurance of the rent being late (they called me BEFORE it was due, explained the situation, paid me a portion of the rent when it was due, and we worked out the schedule for the rest owed).
You have to treat this as a business. DON’T even let a renter start a sob story. Give them the pat answer and follow through. This includes, if the rent is due by 5:00pm on a certain day follow through by notifying the renter a 5:01pm that they are late and you are notifying them that the eviction process has started.
Go get the rent NOW!!!
ToolBar_SC