Recommendations for the Los Angeles Landlord to Prepare for a Possible Eviction

Dec. 17, 2011 - PRLog -- As a Los Angeles landlord, your goal is to rent your unit out to someone who will pay on time, not violate any terms of the lease, not create a nuisance, and adhere to the rental agreement.  In my experience as a landlord/tenant evictions attorney, this isn't always the case.

By following a few recommendations, Los Angeles landlords will be in a better position in the unfortunately scenario that a tenant eviciton is necessary.

* Always get the rental agreement, whether is a 1 year lease, a month-to-month, or some other term, in writing.   NEVER use an oral agreement.

* Make sure the rental agreement spells out in detail and clarity the terms and conditions of the parties.

* Create a landlord/tenant repair request form for tenants to fill out when a repair request is being made.  Don't rely on oral notification.

* If a repair needs to be made, the Los Angeles landlord or their agent should fix the problem themselves.  Do not allow the tenant to fix the problem and deduct the cost of the repair from the rent.  Keep sufficient written records and receipts.

* Keep receipts and records of rental payments from the tenant.

* If the tenant stops paying the rent, issue a 3 day notice to pay rent or quit immediately.  Don't wait.  Waiting equates to lost income to the Los Angeles landlord, since in most eviction cases, landlords will recover possession of the property from the tenant, but will not receive the unpaid rent.  The Law Office of David Piotrowski at http://www.AttorneyDavid.com can draft the appropriate 3 Day Notice for the Los Angeles landlord.

* Similarly, if the tenant violates a material and substantial provision in the rental agreement, issue a 3 day notice to cure covenant or quit.  Don't wait.

* A 3 day notice can also be used when the lease term is up but the tenant has failed to vacate the property.

* Make sure the 3 day notice is served on the tenant by a legal, proper method of service.

* 3 day notices must be drafted carefully and contain many pieces of information.  A defective 3 day notice can force the eviction case to be lost and require the Los Angeles landlord to start the eviction over again with a fresh lawsuit.

* Once the 3 days have elapsed, hire a competent Los Angeles evictions attorney to file an eviction lawsuit against the tenant.  Visit http://www.attorneydavid.com/evictions.html for details.

* Provide a copy of the lease, 3 day notice, and other relevant documents to the evictions attorney.