Eviction filings numbered over 3,000 in King County between 2020 and 2023.
This low number is mostly due to pandemic-era eviction moratoriums, but numbers have been on the rise of late. If you're a Maple Valley property owner, the last thing you want is to be a part of this kind of statistic.
Evictions are a major source of landlord stress around the country. Going through the lengthy and stressful eviction process can take a lot out of any landlord, which is why putting eviction protection measures in place is so important.
Today, we'll help you create an eviction protection plan. Keep reading and you'll be able to protect your investment property from delinquent tenants.
Understanding Eviction Law in Washington
Before you formulate an eviction protection plan, the best thing to do is to familiarize yourself with eviction laws in the state. In the event you need to evict a tenant, you'll need to follow due process to make sure it goes as efficiently as possible.
The two main reasons for eviction are nonpayment of rent and lease violations. When your tenant fails to pay rent, you send them a 14-day notice to pay or vacate. If this notice goes ignored, you can file an official eviction in the local court.
For lease violations, you give a 10-day notice to comply, giving them 10 days to fix the violation before you evict them. Uncurable lease violations are served with a 3-day notice to quit. This gives the tenant 3 days to leave the property before you file the eviction.
Creating an Eviction Protection Plan
Going through an eviction can be a long, drawn-out process, even when you do it lawfully. For that reason, your best course of action is to try and mitigate the risk of evictions with an eviction protection plan.
It all starts with tenant screening. By doing your due diligence on each applicant, you can choose one that's going to make your life easier as a landlord. This involves looking into their financial, criminal, and personal backgrounds with credit, background, and reference checks.
When you find a good tenant, it's important to have rules in place for both parties to follow. Your lease agreement outlines everything you expect of your tenant. Make sure the tenant understands your intention to enforce the lease whenever possible and you'll have fewer issues.
In addition, you can always ask for a security deposit. Security deposits act as insurance against poor tenant behavior, such as missed rent payments and property damage. If the tenant fails to pay rent or you find damage during an inspection, you can pay yourself back with the damage deposit.
All of these things help to promote good behavior in your rental. When you have that, you'll never have to deal with evictions.
How Property Management Can Help the Eviction Process
Eviction protection encompasses a wide range of tasks for a landlord and it can be a lot of extra work. Another thing you can do to avoid evictions is to hire a property manager. A good property manager can put an eviction protection plan in place, with some even offering eviction protection services.
At PMI Puget Sound, we offer protection for all of our clients. Contact us today to learn more about this and how we can help you run your property.
