better. If you leave it be, things could rapidly deteriorate and end up costing you a lot down the road. Deal with and resolve any problems that come up aggressively and as quickly as you can. Here are some of the different problems you may have to deal with and fix: • Tenant doesn’t pay. This is one of the most common and ongoing issues landlords face, and it’s likely to happen to you at least once. It can be a tricky situation, however—perhaps the tenant is dealing with an emergency, or unforeseen circumstances, preventing them from paying rent on time. This is why you might have a grace period in your lease. Before you go to rent collection or file for eviction, take the matter straight to the tenant to see if you can sort it out. In the case of complete non-payment, you’ll have to force the rent collection or file an eviction. Make sure you’re within your legal rights. • Neighbor complains to you. If a neighbor complains to you about the property, you need to see if it’s a legitimate issue and try to resolve it with the neighbor, and quickly—before they contact the homeowners’ association (HOA) or code enforcement. • Neighbor files an HOA/code enforcement complaint. If a neighbor does file an HOA or code enforcement complaint, you need to deal with this immediately; these associations can fine you thousands of dollars for a tenant causing issues and leading to a neighborhood complaint. Get to the bottom of this quickly! Perhaps the complaint isn’t legit; perhaps it is, but according to the terms of your lease, your tenant is the one responsible. Regardless, get this taken care of as soon as possible. Contact your
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