If you’re a self-managing landlord it’s almost inevitable that at one point you’ll get stuck with a bad tenant living in your Pasadena rental property.
Problematic tenants can cause a lot of property damage and unnecessary stress for the property owner. There are times when it’d probably be better for both the tenant and the landlord to move on.
But, eviction isn’t good for anyone. It can cost the property owner weeks of their time and thousands of dollars and can make it difficult for the tenant to find another place to rent.
So, what are some ways to get rid of bad tenants without eviction in Pasadena, California?
The Impact of Problematic Tenants
If this is your first time dealing with a problematic tenant in your Pasadena rental property, you might be thinking that it’s best to just wait it out and avoid any kind of conflict.
Unfortunately, sticking it out isn’t always the best option. Bad tenants can have an extremely negative impact on both your rental property and your investment profits.
With late rent payments or damage to the property, you could be losing hundreds of dollars each month. Unseen property damage (water damage, structural damage) could even cause long-term declines in your rental property’s value.
Your property isn’t the only thing that could suffer at the hands of a bad tenant. Your sanity is at stake, too! The stress of worrying and dealing with a bad tenant is time-consuming and could leave you feeling miserable.
So, rather than sticking the situation out, sometimes it’s best to grab the reins and take control to encourage your destructive and untenable tenant to move out.
How to Get a Bad Tenant to Move Out in Pasadena, CA
If you want to avoid going through the eviction process, or your tenant hasn’t necessarily breached the lease and doesn’t legally warrant an eviction, we’ve come up with some ways to encourage a bad tenant to leave your rental property without eviction in Pasadena, CA.
Schedule More Frequent Inspections
As a landlord, you have a legal right to enter the property to inspect it if needed. To show your tenants that you mean business, start scheduling inspections more often.
As it’s easy to get into “excessive inspections” territory, you don’t actually have to show up for every inspection. It’s just a sign to tenants not to get too comfortable about things they might be doing wrong.
Of course, you must provide at least 24 hours’ notice before entering the property, as per California law. The notice must be written and specify the date and time you plan to visit. The inspection must also take place during normal working hours.
These more frequent inspections serve two main purposes:
1. Inspect for damage done by the tenant
2. Look for things that need to be fixed that the tenant hasn’t reported
3. Search for illegal activity or a breach of the lease (For example, if they’re smoking cannabis inside the house even though you have a strict no-smoking policy.)
If it is still fairly early in your tenant’s lease, knowing they will be held accountable for the terms of the lease could be an effective way to make them want to leave or straighten up their behavior.
Take Your Time with Maintenance Requests
While you have the responsibility to provide a habitable property for your tenants, that doesn’t mean you can’t take your time with minor maintenance requests.
One of the biggest conflicts between tenants and landlords is the timely completion of maintenance. However, if the matter isn’t dangerous or pressing, you can take your time fixing it.
While this isn’t an ideal practice for Pasadena landlords, it’s also not ideal to suffer unneeded stress because a tenant who looked good on paper ended up being a nightmare to deal with.
However, we do encourage quickly responding to all maintenance requests when trying to retain tenants, as you want them to have a high opinion of your service and property.
Give Written Warnings to Your Tenant
If the neighbors have complained about noise or too many people being at the rental property at once, you can give the tenant a written warning (as long there’s a clause in the lease or they’re violating a local noise ordinance law). You can also find out about this kind of behavior with a drive-by inspection.
Of course, there are other reasons to warn a tenant due to their behavior, such as late rent payments.
When officially warned, bad tenants can suffer consequences if they break the rules again. Depending on the lease agreement and the warning, it could even result in them being evicted.
While you actually want to avoid eviction, the specter of eviction might scare them away.
Legally Raise the Rent
If the end of the lease is coming up and your tenant seems intent on renewing it, you can decide to raise the rent. When the price is out of your bad tenant’s budget, they will only be left to find a new place to live.
However, there are rent control laws surrounding raising the rent in Greater Los Angeles with each local municipality having its own rules. Be sure to know and understand these laws before talking to your tenant about raising the rent.
Specifically for Pasadena, California, a rent control bill just passed that caps rent increases to once per year and at only 75% of the inflation rate.
Refuse to Renew the Lease
Maybe you don’t want to raise the rent for fear that you won’t find another tenant quickly. There’s another option!
You can simply refuse to let your problematic tenant renew their lease.
With the proper written notice before the lease expires, you can notify your tenant that the lease will terminate on the set date and will not renew.
The tenant will have to move out after the lease expires, or they could face eviction.
Cash for Keys in Pasadena, CA
If all else fails, then the last option to get rid of bad tenants is to offer them a tenant cash buyout or “cash for keys.”
This method isn’t necessarily ideal, but it is effective. Landlords will offer money to their tenants to move out early.
The amount offered is negotiable and should be discussed between you and your tenant. However, starting with a reasonable number will make things go much smoother.
A good rule of thumb is to offer enough money that it can help the tenant find a new place and cover moving expenses. Document everything and get signatures from all parties involved.
While it can be expensive, it will most likely cost less than going through the eviction process. More importantly, it will save you a lot of time and a lot of sleepless nights.
How to Never Get Stuck with Bad Tenants in Pasadena, CA
The best way to avoid bad tenants and never run into these problems is to work with a reliable Pasadena property manager like Lotus Property Services.
With our thorough tenant screening process, comprehensive tenant management, and experienced team of property managers, we guarantee to place only high-quality tenants in your investment property in Pasadena, CA.
Not only will you avoid the headache and stress of dealing with terrible tenants, but you’ll also see an increase in rental income and overall property value, thanks to our nearly two decades of Pasadena property management experience.
Are you ready to maximize your Pasadena rental property investment and say goodbye to bad tenants once and for all?
Get a free rental analysis to get started with professional property management services in Pasadena today!