Writing A Good Tenant Eviction Letter
So maybe you have a tenant that has not paid the rent for this month yet. Or maybe your tenant has been violating terms of their lease. It is time to write an eviction letter. This letter is essentially a warning letter that tells the tenants what behavior needs to change and by when or otherwise you are going to evict them. So how do you make sure you write a strong, but correct eviction letter:
- Check with your state or local jurisdiction to see if they have any legal requirements on how and when the tenant eviction letter should be used. Some areas do not consider this document to be a part of the legal eviction process, other areas require it. The ones that require it will probably have specifications on what must be included in the letter. Follow this completely.
- Write the letter using proper English and good business manners. Do not fall into petty arguments or accusing the tenant of something that is not relevant to the lease violations. You want to bring the tenant into compliance, not to alienate them so they are more upset after the letter than before.
- State the exact behavior that must change. This may be that they must pay rent immediately and on-time from now on. Alternatively it may be that they need to do or stop doing something else that violates the lease. Be very specific. Again, only state facts that you could prove in a court (as you may need to if this problem does end up in you filing an eviction). Get witness statements, take pictures, and document everything associated with the lease violations.
- In the eviction letter, specify a date and time that the lease violation must be resolved by. Do not give the tenant either an open ended time or a large amount of time to resolve the violation, especially when it is related to rent payment.
Writing a good letter of eviction is much like writing a persuasive business letter. Using the above tips should help you write the best one you can.
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