It is your hope that your tenant pays his or her rent on time and in full every month. However, if you’ve been part of the industry for any period of time, you know that this isn’t always the case.
What steps will you take if a tenant stops payment on a rent check? This can be a frustrating situation, as it means you are unable to deposit the money into your bank account.
If you find yourself in this position, there are three basic things you can do:
— Contact the tenant to discuss the problem. You may find that this was an innocent mistake, such as because the person was a recent victim of identify theft. It’s best to check with the tenant before taking any other action.
— Negotiate. You have the right to collect the funds in full without delay. Negotiate with the tenant to put yourself in the best possible position for not only collecting the past due rent, but ensuring that this issue does not persist in the future.
— Serve an official notice. If the tenant is unable or unwilling to pay the rent, you may be given no choice but to give official notice to pay or vacate.
Hopefully you never find yourself in this situation, but there is no way of knowing what the future holds. If a tenant stops payment on a rent check, it’s important to know the steps to take and your rights as a landlord. In the end, you may have no choice but to take legal action.
Source: RentPrep, “3 Steps to Take When a Tenant Puts a Stop Payment on a Rent Check,” accessed June 06, 2017