Las Vegas landlords have a difficult job without having to worry about the extra stress of evictions. Between property maintenance, tenant communication, collecting rent, and filling vacancies, there’s almost no time to think about anything else. However, landlords may have to evict a tenant at some point in time. When unfortunate situations arise with apartment complex tenants and an eviction is the only solution, here are some tips that can help busy Las Vegas landlords get through the process.
1. Know Your Lease Agreement Inside and Out
One of the best things you can do as a Las Vegas landlord is to be familiar with everything within your lease agreement. It is important to know what your responsibilities are and what is expected of your tenants while they are renting a property within your apartment complex. You should also carefully & clearly explain the rules and regulations of the property within the lease agreement and make sure your tenants agree to the terms with a dated signature. That way, tenants have no excuses when they are served an eviction notice for violating these terms.
2. Start Documenting Everything
If you are having ongoing issues with one of your tenants and anticipate an eviction will be necessary, it’s important to make sure you have everything documented. Depending on what the problem is, you should keep written records of all of the actions taken that relate to the reason for the eviction. This may include photos of damage to the property, official complaints from other tenants or neighbors, records of missed rent payments, or anything else that would support your decision to evict that tenant.
Documenting all of your tenant’s offenses and the dates of when the infractions took place will strengthen your case and help you avoid delays during the eviction process.
3. Don’t Try to Force an Eviction Yourself
One of the worst things you can do as a landlord is to forego the proper eviction process and try to take matters into your own hands. You may be tempted to lock a tenant out of the unit by changing the locks while they’re gone, have the utilities turned off, or even remove the tenant’s property yourself. These methods are considered illegal in Nevada and will only make the situation much worse. Although it may seem tedious at first, sticking with the process and making sure you check all the boxes is the only way to successfully evict a tenant. Here are some common eviction mistakes landlords should avoid if you are still unsure what is acceptable and what is not.
4. Always Be Professional
Maintaining your professionalism can be hard when you are dealing with a particularly difficult tenant during the eviction process. Frustration and anger can come into play when tenants realize they are being evicted, even if they know they’ve violated their lease terms or failed to pay rent. They might even try to provoke you as the landlord to get you to illegally try one of the methods mentioned above.
In some cases, tension can reach the point of harassment or threats while trying to evict the tenant. The important thing to remember is to limit communication between you and your tenant as much as possible, never retaliate, and keep a record of all threatening behavior. Your professionalism will go a long way, and will result in a speedy, successful eviction.
5. Avoid Making Allowances for Tenants
We all know the old saying, “Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile.” For landlords, this applies to making allowances for tenants. If you start to let violations slide and not enforce some of the rules, this inconsistency may lead to some tenants taking advantage of your leniency because they know they can get away with it. Although you might want to avoid the stress that can come with an eviction, you are ultimately not doing yourself any favors by looking the other way.
Of course, there will always be extreme circumstances in which you should practice your discretion as a landlord, but not applying strict rules consistently across the board can lead to an increased number of violations and late rent payments in the future. If your tenant’s behavior or infractions call for eviction, it’s usually best to follow through.
6. Stay Updated on Eviction Laws and Requirements
Recent changes to eviction laws and regulations mean you might have to switch up the way you’ve evicted tenants in the past. For example, as of July 2019, Las Vegas landlords are no longer able to serve eviction notices to their tenants themselves. Other than an attorney, constable or sheriff, the person serving the eviction notice or any other legal notice to the tenant is required to be a licensed process server. This applies to any rental in the state of Nevada, including Las Vegas apartment complexes.
Staying on top of eviction laws and local regulations will help you avoid issues when evicting a tenant. It’s always beneficial to know exactly what is required for a quicker eviction process. Partnering with a proven eviction company that brings extensive experience, while also maintaining an up-to-date website with all of the latest Las Vegas eviction news and maintaining top Las Vegas SEO standards, can help you stay ahead of the curve and remain updated on all laws and requirements.
7. Consult a Las Vegas Eviction Services Professional
You might not know everything there is to know about evicting a tenant in Las Vegas, so it’s always a good idea to partner with a professional Las Vegas eviction services company to make sure you are doing everything the right way from beginning to end. Here at NMI Eviction Services in Las Vegas, we’re not only eviction experts with decades of experience, but we are also licensed process servers who can serve all eviction and legal notices to your tenants within the Las Vegas, Henderson, & North Las Vegas areas. We can also help you decide which eviction notice is most appropriate for your situation while handling all of the steps needed to move forward.
If you would like to learn more about our eviction services and how we can help with your Las Vegas apartment complex evictions, contact our team today!