We buy houses in Spartanburg, SC, so we have seen pretty much every reason for a seller to be selling their home. Most of them are innocuous enough: they want to move to a bigger, better location, or they simply want to downsize. But sometimes, you come across sellers – mostly owners of rental properties – who have simply had enough of their bad tenants and are looking to start over somewhere else.

There’s plenty of recourses for bad tenants, and here are some of the most effective things you can do to deal with troublesome renters in Spartanburg.

Know Your Legal Obligations

We’ve all seen tenants who just won’t stop complaining about their rental. For most issues, a simple reassurance can help stave off the complaints. Meanwhile, simple fixes for broken things can go a long way to maintaining a pleasant landlord-tenant relationship. But what about those constant complainers who nitpick at the smallest possible thing?

Simple: say no.

Yes, you, the landlord, are obliged to keep a rental property to a certain standard, but only up to a point. It’s not your legal obligation to be anyone’s butler or handyman on-call 24/7. And honestly, even if you wanted to do those things out of the goodness of your own heart, you shouldn’t. It’s not your job and you don’t want them to think you are a doormat. If your tenants are starting to ask for favors that are beyond your contract or legal obligations, just say no.

Keep Records of EVERYTHING

It’s easy to keep track of contracts, but should you be keeping records of every conversation you have with your tenants? Legal experts say, yes you should, whenever possible and reasonable. Of course, don’t be wiretapping phones or secretly recording conversations with your tenants. This is why, when dealing with troublesome tenants, keep your conversations written, whether through text, direct messages, or emails.

In fact, INSIST on having conversations about their rentals via written form. It covers both your behinds and it will help your lawyer (should you need one) find the best way to prove your innocence. Video cameras and CCTVs will help greatly, but you’ll need to state their existence and their coverage to your renters prior to them renting, and these devices should only be placed in common areas. Still, it’s a great idea to have these cameras recording whenever possible.

Try to mediate by engaging in good conversation with your tenants

At the end of the day, a majority of trouble between landlord and renter boils down to simple miscommunication. More often than not, difficult tenants are going through difficult times themselves, and you’ll find that, with some good conversation over tea, everything can be fixed, right as rain.

And that’s not an exaggeration: many tenants are simply waiting for a break, and when they get it, you’ll find that they’ll sometimes end up being the best renters you’ve ever had. Having a little faith in humanity isn’t such a bad thing.

But that, of course, should have limits too.

Handle the Eviction Above Board

When tenants become too destructive or are becoming a danger to yourself, themselves, and your property, it’s time to evict. Spartanburg, like many other cities in South Carolina, requires that landlords trigger the eviction process by filing a five-day or fourteen-day notice, and this is if they have legal cause to do so. If tenants are involved in shady or illegal activity, then the eviction process can start immediately.

Evictions in South Carolina can only happen in court and can only be executed by a duly appointed law enforcement officer. If your tenant has done something illegal –and in most cases of eviction that don’t involve unpaid rent, this is almost-always a certain cause –then the eviction should proceed smoothly, provided you do everything above board and to the letter.

Sell Your Spartanburg Property

This might sound like a last resort type of option, but for landlords who don’t want to deal with all that legal mess, they can always sell their property. More often than not, direct cash buyers and cash home buyers will almost-always provide sellers with a price that is as close to fair market value as possible, even with properties that have aged.

This simply means that you’ll probably get more than what you think, and you’ll probably be left with more than enough to start over with a new rental property, and even have a little bit left over for yourself to enjoy.

Let Us Help You!

Sell My House Fast – GSAP is one of the most trusted direct home buyers in South Carolina. We buy houses in Spartanburg, SC and the surrounding areas, and we make the process as fast and as smooth as possible. We are proud of our transparent process that allows us to offer you a price that is as close to fair market value as possible.

Want to learn more? Contact us today so we can help you get started in the process!