Jacksonville Property Management Blog

Your best chance at avoiding tenant evictions is to thoroughly screen your applicants so you are sure to place a resident who is responsible and has never been evicted before. However, even good tenants can run into financial problems that may cause them to stop paying rent. The eviction process in Jacksonville, Florida is fairly straightforward. However, you must follow it carefully or risk spending more time and money than is necessary.

Serve a Three-Day Notice

As soon as rent is late, you should try to contact your tenant to find out if there’s a problem. Don’t waste too much time chasing your tenants down, however. Immediately serve the Three-Day Notice so you don’t stall the eviction process. The notice must state the amount that is owed, and the date that it is due before further action is taken. Serve this to your tenants directly, post it on the door, or send it via mail. If you send it by mail, you must add five days before you can move forward.

Filing a Complaint in Court

It’s possible that your tenants will pay what they owe within that three-day period. It’s unlikely that they will vacate the residence. If you don’t hear from them at all, your next step is to file for the eviction in court. You’ll need to go to the courthouse in the county where your rental property is located. You’ll get a hearing date, and the tenant will be served with a copy of your complaint. The tenants will have five days to respond to that compliant, and then both parties will show up for the eviction hearing. Make sure you bring all your documentation to that hearing, including the lease, your Three-Day Notice, and any accounting records that demonstrate what is owed.

Removing the Tenants

If you can prove that your tenants are in violation of their lease, the court will set a date that the tenants need to vacate the property. At that point, you can receive possession of the home, and begin getting it ready for new tenants. Sometimes, tenants don’t leave by the required date. In that case, you’ll need to contapixact the sheriff to physically remove the tenants and their belongings.

A Jacksonville property management company can help you navigate this legal process and prepare you to find and screen a better tenant. If you have any problems with tenants who aren’t paying, or questions about how to evict, please contact us at Heth Realty.