Roughly 1,000-1,500 evictions are filed each month in Tampa, FL.
If you're a Tampa landlord, you're never setting out to evict one of your tenants. The fact of the matter is, however, that you need to protect your property investment. When a tenant stands in the way of that, you need to take prompt action.
Today, we'll give you a hand with the eviction process. Keep reading and you'll know exactly what you need to do to evict a delinquent tenant and take back your property.
Eviction Laws in Florida
It can be hard to exercise patience when you've got a delinquent tenant, but you won't regret taking your time. The first thing to do before sending an eviction notice is to gain an understanding of Florida's eviction laws.
In Florida, as in many other states, there are specific reasons that you need to cite when evicting someone. Each one is served with a specific notice that lets your tenant know that an eviction is coming. The main reasons for eviction in Florida are failure to pay rent, lease violations, and illegal activity.
Sending a Notice
Before sending your official eviction notice, you may want to attempt reasoning with your tenant one final time. For example, if you inspect the property and there's damage, let them know that they can fix it or face eviction.
The more lenient you are with your tenants, the better it'll reflect later on in eviction court. If your communications once again go ignored, you can post your official notice for eviction.
When you're dealing with payment issues, you serve them with a 3-day pay or quit notice. This gives them 3 days to make a payment or else you go file the eviction with the court.
Other lease violations get a 7-day cure or quit notice, while illegal activity can be served with a 7-day unconditional quit notice.
Filing Official Evictions
Once the period stated on the notice goes by, your tenant will either have vacated the property or ignored it. If the latter happens, it's time to file your eviction papers and pay the court to officially start the process.
Both parties are then given a court date when the eviction hearing will take place. While you're preparing for court, gather as much evidence as you can to support your eviction case - correspondence with the tenant, proof of damage, bank statements, etc.
Assuming your case is successful, the tenant will be issued with an official notice to vacate your property. If they choose to ignore this final warning, they can be removed by the local authorities. Once the eviction is complete, you can find a better tenant with better tenant screening practices.
The Role of Property Management
Evictions are never easy for anyone. They take a major toll on your property and your mental health as a landlord, which is why so many landlords try to avoid them at all costs. One of the best ways to do this is outsourcing your landlord duties to a property management company.
A good property manager, like Arrico Realty and Property Management, offers comprehensive property management services, from tenant screening to eviction protection. Contact us today to learn how we can help you deal with the more stressful aspects of being a Tampa landlord.
