Tenant Evictions in Fairfield, CA: A Guide for Landlords
Evictions are on the rise in California, now exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
If you're a California landlord, you know how hard the past few years have been. It's no landlord's goal to evict a tenant, but you've ultimately got to look after your property and interests. If your tenant actively gets in the way of that, you need to take action.
Today, we'll tell you how to deal with evictions in Fairfield, CA. This guide will take you through the eviction process both efficiently and legally, so keep reading and learn how to evict a tenant the right way.
Communicate
The first thing to do is exhaust every possible option to prevent having to go through with the eviction. Everyone goes through difficult times, so if you think you can salvage things with your tenant, it's worth one last try.
Whether your tenant has missed rent payments or broken the lease agreement in some other way, give them a last chance to rectify the situation. Doing so will reflect well on you when it comes time to go through the eviction process.
Make sure they understand the consequences of their actions and the next steps you're going to take. If they fail to change their ways, at least you tried to reason with them.
Understand the Eviction Process
The most important part of the eviction process for you is that you're doing things legally. California places a lot of value on tenant rights, so make sure you're sending the correct notice and evicting your tenant for valid reasons.
You're entitled to evict a tenant if they fail to pay rent, damage your property, or conduct illegal activity on your property. Each infraction is served with a specific notice that instructs the tenant on what to do. For instance, failure to pay rent and lease violations are served with a 3-day pay/cure or quit notice.
If the tenant ignores the eviction notice, you can officially file the eviction in your local court. Under no circumstances should you lock the tenant out or attempt to remove them from the property. Follow due course and your eviction will succeed and you can get a new tenant in your rental.
Go to Court
Once the eviction is filed correctly, you and the tenant will be given a court date to settle the matter. In preparation for your day in court, make sure to gather evidence. Take pictures, print off correspondence, and bring any other supporting documents that will bolster your eviction case.
If your eviction case is successful, the tenant will be ordered to vacate the property by a certain date. Failure to do so will result in them being forcibly removed by the authorities.
Hire a Property Manager to Help With Evictions
The steps to successful evictions aren't complicated, but they can be very stressful. If you've got multiple properties or other responsibilities, you may not have the time or stomach to go through with an eviction. It's still important to protect your investment, however.
In these scenarios, it's best to hire a property manager. A good property manager, like PMI Northbay, will handle every step of the eviction process. To learn more about how we handle evictions, as well as other aspects of property management, contact us today.
