My Mistake of Not Evicting Tenants Quickly

by Gower
(Long Beach, CA)

To avoid landlord tenant problems, always enforce your late fees and 3 day notices promptly. After handing my tenant a 3 day notice, I would give him or her no more than 1 week to pay up or else I'll be filing an UD (Unlawful Detainer Action).

I made the mistake of allowing an older tenant slide on to his rent payments because he was my renter for several years. He would give me empty promises of rent payment and ended up owing me a ton of money before I finally filed the UD.

My one week rule is almost too generous considering how long a tenant is able to stay in your property legally without paying - and good luck collecting on a judgment in your favor! Better off getting them out sooner rather than being sorry later.