What are five reasons your landlord can evict you? The most common reason that everyone thinks of is non-payment of rent but not everyone is aware that there are other things that can get you evicted as well even when you’re paying rent on time! What are they?
Lease Violation – If there is something in the terms of your lease that you are not abiding by, that is a lease violation. Maybe it’s only having certain people in the home as occupants that are not allowed. If your girlfriend or boyfriend moved in without the landlord’s permission during your lease without following proper procedure to be added to the lease, that person is an unauthorized occupant.
Another lease violation is not abiding by the rules and regulations of the community you’re living in. When homeowners buy in communities with an association, they agree to abide by the rules. Your lease probably also states that you do too. You might be violating your lease by leaving your garbage bins out too long, playing loud music at all hours of the night, parking where you shouldn’t, or not picking up after your dog among other things. The landlord can give you a notice to “cure or quit” which basically means you have a certain amount of time to get in compliance or the eviction will proceed.
No Lease/End of Lease/Holdover Tenant – Either you or your landlord gave the other person notice and now your lease has expired but you continue living at the property. The landlord can evict you based on this and may also charge you additional fees or penalties for being a holdover tenant so be careful of overstaying, even if it’s just for one-day. If you and the landlord have agreed to end the lease on a certain date and you stay a few days longer, you may be responsible for another month of rent at a higher rate so don’t stay longer without your landlord’s written permission (verbal does not count as some people “forget” what was said).
Foreclosure – Unfortunately, foreclosures happen and sometimes with tenants in the home. Often, you will be contacted by the bank who might offer you some money to move out of the property. If you do not willingly move out then the bank may move forward with an eviction, especially if you don’t have a written lease or proof that you had an agreement with the former owner.
Illegal Acts – If you are conducting illegal activity at the property then your landlord can evict you.
Nonpayment of Rent – This is the most well-known and common reason landlords evict their tenants. If you fail to pay rent, your landlord can evict you. You will get a notice first and before the notice period expires the rent will need to be paid in full. If the notice expires and you have not paid then it’s the landlord’s decision to end the lease or not even if you come up with the rent later.
If you cannot come up with the full amount of rent by the end of the notice period, you can ask the landlord for a payment arrangement. Whether the landlord will grant this is usually based on your history as a tenant, how much you can pay today, and what they plan to do with their property.
If you have been a not-so-great tenant and never respond when they reach out and habitually pay rent late, there’s a higher chance your landlord will want to cut his or her losses and just want you out so they can get a tenant that is less of a hassle.
If you have nothing to pay today, then that’s also not something that’s in your favor since your landlord will doubt that you’ll be able to honor the terms of your payment arrangement compared to a tenant that has at least half the rent or maybe has most of the rent and is just short a couple hundred dollars.
If the landlord wants to sell, you not paying rent may be a blessing and regardless of how you’ve been as a tenant and how much you have available to pay now, your landlord may reject it since he or she may have other plans for the property.
In conclusion, try not to pay your rent late but if you know you’re going to be late or a little short, you should always have an open line of communication with your landlord and be honest and upfront about what you can do. If you say you can pay half now and half in a week and then you don’t pay the second half a week later, your credibility with your landlord will be shot and the chances are lower that he or she will work with you in the future and will most likely terminate your lease when they get a chance.
