There’s an old Polish proverb that says “not my circus, not my monkeys”. If you understand this proverb, you know you have to fire a tenant in certain situations.
If you don’t, let me break it down.
What the original creator of this proverb was trying to say (at least in my opinion) was that if it’s someone else’s problem why are you dealing with it?
Their problem, their issues, until they become your issues.
Then it may be firing time.
If a tenant is repeatedly late with rent because they get paid late their circus has dragged you in as part of a sideshow. Try paying the bank late repeatedly, it doesn’t fly and your circus could get shut down.
If your tenant refuses to maintain the property, the grass is two feet high and full of weeds or the snow on the sidewalk to a foot deep it’s not them that gets the ticket from by-law, it’s the property owner. You’ve been dragged into another sideshow.
If you find a tenant is repeatedly causing you grief, stress or is extremely demanding, you need to fire them and find someone new, otherwise you become one of the monkeys in the circus.
So, Can You Fire A Tenant?
I know I can where I live, but it’s because I understand my local landlord tenant laws. My secret is fixed term leases.
Under my local Residential Tenancy Laws I don’t have to renew a lease if I don’t want to.
My secret involves starting tenants with six month leases or possibly year long leases and renewing at the end of the term, well renewing if I enjoy the circus. If not, Hasta la vista baby.
I can’t stress enough that is applicable to where I live. It’s important for you to understand your local laws.
What flies in Alberta (where I am) doesn’t fly in New York City. That doesn’t mean you may not have options, but you really need to know them before the emcee starts introducing the monkeys because after the shows starts many of the rules may not apply.
Keeping It Short
There, a short post, enjoy and share, provide me some feedback and let me know if you ever fired a tenant or let me know if I’m simply out to lunch.