While no landlord ever wants to have to evict a tenant, and would rather have every occupant remain in good standing, sometimes it is necessary to make the call to terminate a tenant’s residence. If you own property this comes with the need to provide notice of eviction to the tenant. While these documents need to be delivered to the tenant directly, many landlords are unsure if they are required to personally hand over the notice. Here’s what you need to know about serving an eviction notice to an occupant.
Understanding Cause
The primary reason for terminating a lease is because of the conduct of the tenants. This is known as terminating with cause and comes with different requirements depending on the cause being cited. You are required to provide 5-days of notice to cure for failure to pay rent or property damages, or 10-days of notice to cure for rules violations. This means the tenants have that period to rectify the issue. For serious offenses like crimes on-premises, immediate termination may be allowed.
Terminating Without Cause
It is also possible to terminate a lease without cause, meaning your tenants have not done anything wrong necessarily. The most common reasons are the dissolution of a month-to-month agreement or the end of term on a longer lease.
Delivering Notice
While it is required that you deliver the notice as dictated by the law, you do not have to personally make the delivery. Outside professionals are available who can handle your process serving if you don’t feel comfortable doing so or are unable to fit it into your schedule.
If you have tenants who have violated their lease and you need to serve an eviction notice, it can be a stressful situation. By understanding your rights and working with professional process servers you can make the process as pain-free as possible. Get in touch with a process server today about your tenant problems.
