Acting as a landlord is not an easy job. You may have hoped that this position would allow you to generate a livable income or some extra cash every month to supplement your other income streams. Whatever the case, you know that taking care of rental property and ensuring that tenants follow through with their side of the rental agreement is not a walk in the park.
In some cases, renters may violate the lease agreement, commonly by not paying rent, and you may need to take steps to evict a person. If you have never had to take this type of action before, you may want to remember that there are legal aspects involved with eviction, and you could get yourself in trouble if you take hasty actions.
Avoid drastic measures
Certainly, eviction is a drastic move in and of itself, but if you have notified the tenant of missed rent payments or other actions that violate the lease agreement and no resolution to the issue seems forthcoming, eviction may be your best option as the landlord. However, even if you want the person out of the property as soon as possible, avoid drastic actions such as the following:
- Locking the tenant out of the property by changing the locks
- Taking the tenant’s possession out of the rental property
- Harassing the tenant until he or she decides to leave
- Physically removing the tenant from the property
- Turning off utilities
Some landlords may think that these actions could help get the tenant out without having to take legal measures in court, but this type of behavior could violate Ohio laws regarding eviction. If so, a judge could decide not to allow the eviction due to the landlord’s violations.
Handling the situation as well as possible
Having to evict a tenant is not a happy point in any landlord’s career, but it can be necessary for many reasons. If you believe that the time has come to evict a tenant, you may want to ensure that you fully understand your rights as the landlord, the state laws regarding eviction and how you can best move forward. It may work in your interests to contact an experienced attorney to gain an assessment of your case and determine your options for handling the situation as well as possible.
