How a Baton Rouge Property Manager Can Avoid Costly Evictions

As a Baton Rouge property manager, having to evict a current tenant is probably one of your most highly-dreaded events. You're not alone. Many landlords who provide Baton Rouge property management hate going through the eviction process. It's not so much that they hate evicting tenants who don't pay their rent, it's how expensive the process can been while waiting for the hearing to arrive, because tenants going through eviction don't pay rent and live for free. Not to mention all of the court costs associated with the process.

However, there are a few things you can do to reduce the chances of having to go through the eviction process and pay the high costs associated with it. The first thing you should do is review your lease with your Baton Rouge property manager, or if you are the manager, review it with an attorney or other professionals knowledgeable in this area of business. You need to make sure that the lease is clear about when rent is due and how long the "grace" period is, if you have one.

Secondly, one of the biggest mistakes made by new property managers in Baton Rouge is their "niceness." They don't want to make a renter mad by asking for their late rent payment. Don't be this way. If a renter is late, call them and confront them about it. If it hasn't arrived by the end of the "grace" period, let the renter know he has 24 hours to get it in before you report it to the credit bureau. Some renters push their Baton Rouge property manager just to see how much they can get by with.

Thirdly, document everything. Most professionals working for Baton Rouge property management companies have to document everything that happens with a tenant. For instance, when a maintenance report is made, when it has been repaired, when a payment is late, when the payment is made, etc. Keeping these kinds of records may seem ridiculous, but in the case of an eviction they will make your case against a bad tenant easier.

Finally, don't wait to serve the tenants with a formal eviction letter. The more time you go allowing them to put off paying rent, the more money you lose. Therefore, don't put up with the excuses for why they can't get rent to you on time. Get the process started as soon as possible so you can get it over with as soon as possible.