Oklahoma homeowners that rent out their property will at some point run into a tenant that doesn’t pay rent. This can start as a harmless conversation full of compromises and promises to a full-on legal battle if homeowners don’t stay on top of it.
How do you deal with a tenant that doesn’t pay rent? Use this brief guide to understand your options as an Oklahoma homeowner, including some simple conversations you can have with your tenant, all the way up to the eviction and selling processes in your state.
Conversation
The first thing any Oklahoma homeowner needs to do when their tenant isn’t paying rent is to have a simple conversation. Some issues can be resolved this way. Tenants feel heard and they understand their situation better.
This doesn’t always work, but it’s the first and least confrontational way to deal with a tenant that isn’t paying rent.
Five-Day Notice
Homeowners in Oklahoma can give tenants five-day notices to pay rent. If the tenant fails to pay or come to an agreement with the homeowner, that homeowner has the legal right to begin eviction proceedings.
Note that if a tenant violates their lease or rental agreement in any way, the landlord can also proceed with the eviction process after giving the tenant fifteen days’ notice. If the violation is resolved within ten days, the landlord cannot evict the tenant. If it takes between and fifteen days to fix the lease violation, however, the homeowner can still proceed with the eviction even if the lease in order.
Selling the House
A more drastic way to deal with tenants that don’t pay rent is to take advantage of a good market and sell the house. In Oklahoma, June is the ideal time to sell a house. It’s when parents are preparing to go back to school and need to rush their moving plans. They aren’t as picky about prices or closing times in June as a result.
Many homeowners don’t realize they can sell a property with a tenant still living there. They can, so long as they coordinate with the home buying agency or realtor to match the schedule of the showings and closing to the tenant’s whereabouts. Showings are awkward if the tenant is there at the time.
Often, tenants who are delinquent on their rent may not ever pay it. Homeowners may opt to forgo the back rent and simply ask the tenant to move out, so their sale goes smoothly. That’s always an option for homeowners interested in selling a house quickly in Oklahoma.
The Takeaway
Home buying agencies like House Buyers OKC can take care of a sale for homeowners that are thinking about selling a house quickly in Oklahoma. It may not come to that, however, since tenants that aren’t paying their rent might just need a reminder or a little more time.
Homeowners should use this information to handle the problem however they see fit. If eviction or a property sale is the answer they prefer, they have the right to do it.