Best Tips for San Diego Eviction Process – Property Management Education

Today we’re talking about eviction, which is a word no landlord ever wants to hear. However, it can happen from time to time. Here at American Heritage, our eviction rate is less than half of one percent. Over the years we’ve had to conduct quite a few evictions when landlords come to us with their problem tenants and they just don’t know what to do.

One of the first problems we notice is that tenants often string the landlord along for way too long. It might be three or six months before the landlord even starts the eviction process. That’s a problem. The financial hole only gets deeper the longer you wait for a tenant to get caught up in late rent.

The first step is to serve a Three Day Notice. This gives the tenant the option to pay rent or get out of the property. If they do move out, it doesn’t relieve them of the obligations that are listed in the lease, but this does start the legal process.

If they don’t pay the rent within that timeframe, you want to turn the matter over to an attorney. Do not try to handle the eviction by yourself. Technically, you can evict on your own but as a practical matter – you really cannot. Unless you’re an eviction attorney in San Diego, handling an eviction is a difficult process. If you don’t pay attention to every detail, you’ll have problems.

The attorney files the complaint with the court, which is a lawsuit. A summons is served to the tenant and the tenant has the opportunity to respond. The tenant can either dispute the lawsuit or explain why rent has not been paid.

That’s how the eviction process works. Again – don’t do it yourself. Always hire an attorney. It might be costly but it will save you so much in the long run. If you have any questions, or you need help with evictions, we welcome you to contact us at American Heritage Properties.