Since March of 2020 - when Eviction Lab started tracking evictions in America - Jacksonville has had nearly 50,000 eviction filings.
If you're a Jacksonville landlord, you don't want to be part of a statistic like this. Not only does it signal a major issue in your tenant screening practices, but it also means that you're succumbing to more landlord stress than is necessary.
Evicting a tenant should always be a last resort, but if your property is suffering because of bad tenant behavior, you need to do it. Fortunately, there are ways to mitigate the risk of eviction. Today, we'll discuss eviction protection and prevention, so keep reading and learn what you can do to make your life easier as a landlord.
Understand the Tenant Eviction Process
Whether you're making moves to avoid evictions or you're about to file one, you need to understand the process. All Jacksonville evictions must start with a notice detailing what your tenant did and how long they have to rectify the issue before you file an official eviction.
In Florida, there are typically two reasons why you'd evict a tenant. First is nonpayment of rent, which is served with a 3-day pay or quit notice. Second is any lease violation, which is served with a 7-day cure or quit notice.
A good property manager can provide landlord legal support to help you understand evictions clearly.
Screen Tenants Thoroughly
The eviction process is a long and drawn-out one that you should try to avoid at all costs. Your best shot at preventing evictions is to screen your applicants thoroughly before selecting a tenant.
A proper tenant selection process involves background checks on all of the top applicants. This will tell you more about their financial and personal history, which is invaluable in determining whether or not they can afford rent and act appropriately in the rental.
You can also contact references to get a better sense of their character. Prior landlords are a great resource for finding out what type of tenant you might be getting.
Write a Clear Lease
Even when you think you've chosen a great tenant, you need to put safeguards in place to protect your rental. The most important one is your lease agreement.
Make sure that your lease is worded so that there's no ambiguity on when your tenant should pay rent or what the consequences of poor behavior are. They should know what constitutes damage and what they'll be responsible for if damage should occur.
It's also smart to perform regular inspections of your property. As long as you provide a 24-hour notice, you can enter your property at will. It's wise to look into things like rental property insurance and eviction insurance as well.
Eviction Protection and Property Management in Jacksonville
These eviction prevention measures should help you find and keep good tenants in your property. If you want legitimate eviction protection, however, you should get it from a quality property manager.
At Nest Finders Property Management, our eviction protection plans give landlords peace of mind. We'll ensure you always have great tenants on your property, but we put plans in place to protect your interests if eviction must occur.
Contact us today to learn more about what our eviction protection entails .
