When you have a tenant who is paying rent late, it’s important to remember that you are a business, and you need to treat it as a business. If you’re a small landlord with only a few rentals, you might make a personal connection with the tenant and then give them a few breaks. That only makes rent collection more difficult. Treat your rental property as a business and have a process in place for rent collection.
We recommend that you follow the legal process for the state of Michigan. In Michigan, the eviction procedure is pretty tenant-friendly. That means if you do what Michigan law requires, you’re accomplishing two things: you are collecting rent as fast as possible; and, you are giving the tenant plenty of opportunities to pay before facing eviction.
First, send your tenants a late notice. Include any late fee that is involved. The first legal notice you’ll send is the 7 Day Notice or Demand for Possession. That’s a legal form that gives the tenants seven days to pay. If they don’t pay, this notice tells them that they may be evicted. If the tenant doesn’t pay after those seven days, you can file eviction papers.
Finally, when you’re collecting rent, remember not to be confrontational. It’s not a good idea to go knocking on doors. Keep yourself safe by maintaining a professional and businesslike approach.
If you have any questions or need help with a late paying tenant, please contact us at Real Property Management Southwest Michigan.