The tenant is a slob. In the last year, they have done $10,000 worth of damage to your property. You have been working with them for months, and they just refuse to do anything about it. They don’t want to clean up after themselves or pay their rent on time. You can’t afford this anymore! The tenant has broken at least one of the rules in your lease agreement (e.g., no pets). It’s not like you’re trying to be mean; evicting tenants is perfectly legal! And here are eleven legal reasons for evicting clients:
Non-payment of rent: One of the primary reasons tenants get evicted across the United States is non-payment of rent. When a tenant signs on the dotted line, they agree to pay a certain amount of money for rent. Non-payment is a direct violation of that clause. While it is okay for tenants to run late with their payments once in a while, repeating the same behavior over and over is a perfect reason for eviction. If your tenant has not paid in a while and refuses to comply or hold a clear line of communication, your only bet might be to evict them.
Incomplete rent payments: Another common reason why tenants get evicted is that they do not complete their rent payments. Depending on the terms of your lease agreement, this might be a good enough reason to evict them. Even if you have never had an issue with incomplete rental payments in the past, there are no guarantees that it won’t happen again in the future.
Criminal activity: If you find out that your tenant is doing illegal activity out of the house, it’s perfectly legal to evict them. Make sure, however, that the law is on your side. For example, it might not be okay to evict someone simply because they are involved in some sort of drug activity if you do not have a clause about such activities stated explicitly in your lease agreement.
Unapproved pets: Tenants tend to keep pets without asking permission first. Even when asked to remove the animal/s from the premises, they don’t. While it might be hard to evict someone for having pets, you can undoubtedly evict them if they refuse to remove the animal/s after being specifically asked to. Even though this is a pet-related eviction scenario, many property owners choose to include an “approved pets” clause within their lease agreement before signing with tenants. That way, there are no surprises down the line because both parties know exactly what is expected of each other ahead of time.
Pest control: If your tenant has had multiple complaints about rodents and insects over several months but refuses to hire an exterminator or take any measures themselves despite repeated warnings, then you may have grounds for eviction on your hands. Note that it would need to be a confirmed infestation of pests, not just one or two mice in the basement.
Loud parties/disruptive behavior: If your tenants have loud parties every night until all hours of the morning without regard for anyone else trying to sleep nearby, an eviction might be an option. This is a perfect reason for eviction if you have a clause in your lease agreement forbidding disruptive behavior or loud parties.
Unapproved subletting: When tenants sign on with property managers, they are obligated to follow specific rules and regulations set out by that company specifically – including prohibiting them from subletting the rental unit without prior consent (and possibly charging additional fees). If your tenant has been found guilty of this infraction more than once despite being spoken to about it multiple times before, then they might be subject to eviction proceedings.
Not abiding by community health and safety regulations: If you find out that your tenant has been violating health and safety regulations in the community, this might be a reason to evict them. Many cities have laws about maintaining residential properties for health and safety reasons, so if they are breaking those rules, an eviction might be the only answer.
Not vacating the property when the lease is up: You can begin eviction proceedings if your tenant has not left the property when their lease is up. In most cases, it’s a good idea to give them an extra couple of days just in case they need more time but if that isn’t going to happen, then evicting tenants becomes necessary – and legal.
Keeping other people on the rental agreement:
If you have found out that additional names are listed on the rental agreement without prior consent from both parties, this could be grounds for eviction, depending on the local laws. Some landlords might include clauses about keeping any roommates or family members with signed permission only, so make sure you know what rules are included in the contract.
Lease violations: While every landlord wants their tenants to uphold all clauses within their rental agreements, some people make repeated mistakes no matter how hard you try as a property manager/owner. If tenants keep violating the same clause repeatedly despite warnings, then eviction might be necessary.
If you are interested in evicting tenants for any of the above reasons, it’s essential to know your rights as a landlord. Many states have different laws about what constitutes legal eviction, so make sure that you understand your state and local rules thoroughly before starting proceedings against tenants.