Horrible tenants come in all forms. There are ones who consistently fail to pay their rent on time. Then there are ones who forget to tell you about the black mold growing in the basement or who scream obscenities at 1 a.m.

Regardless of the offense, one thing’s for sure. Horrible tenants are tough to deal with.

And, unfortunately, if you own a property you’re renting out, you’re bound to encounter one at some point (since they don’t often come with signs that say, “Hey, I’m going to be a super-horrible tenant!”).

If you do have a rogue renter on your hands, there’s no need to stress. You just need to take action.

Here are 5 ways to handle horrible tenants:

1. Be Firm

When dealing with tenants that try at your last nerve, it’s important to be objective so you don’t let emotions trip you up.

You want to stay firm when enforcing the rules, but you also want to be cordial, since being rude is likely to exacerbate the problem.

2. Document EVERYTHING

When you do everything to the letter of the law and document all interactions, you run into a lot less problems. And it makes things easier should you need to take legal action.

So, make sure all the rules you want upheld are in writing. When those rules are violated, use a written notice, rather than a verbal one. It’s far more effective, and it means you have documentation of the violation.

Also, keep thorough records of all late payments and verbal discussions.

3. Hire a Lawyer

A responsive lawyer who understands landlord/tenant laws can be very helpful when it comes to figuring out what your options are. And should you need to evict anyone, you’ll definitely benefit from having a good lawyer in your corner.

4. Use a Property Management Company

Hiring a solid property management company can help prevent a lot of problems because they’re well-versed at screening tenants (which can help prevent horrible tenants in the first place) and know how to handle sticky situations. It also keeps the stress off you.

5. Sell Your Property to Cash Buyer

But if you really want to get rid of stress, selling the property to a cash buyer is a nice option because they can often purchase it as-is for cash with the tenants still in place, which means that removing them becomes their problem – not yours.

And they can close in as quick as seven days, which means that your horrible tenants will be off your hands mighty quick.

Want more information about how selling your home to a cash buyer works? Click here or fill out the form below.