In 2023, landlords in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, filed over 14,300 evictions. That's 10% more than the average pre-pandemic rate!
While prevalent, evictions should be the last resort of landlords, as they cost money and can take weeks, even months, to conclude. So, as a Milwaukee landlord, you should prioritize tenant eviction prevention.
In this guide, we'll share three eviction protection and prevention plans to help you avoid the cost and headaches of this legal procedure.
Plan No. 1: Conduct Comprehensive Tenant Screening
One of the most crucial Milwaukee landlord tips you should abide by is to conduct comprehensive tenant screening. By doing so, you can gauge a renter's qualifications more effectively, as it allows you to:
- Verify their employment or income sources and confirm their ability to pay rent
- Assess their credit score and report to see how financially responsible they are
- Confirm their rental history and check for records of past evictions
- Check if they have a history of committing severe and dangerous crimes
If you spot any major red flags during the screening process, take it as a sign to move on to more qualified applicants. For instance, if they have a recent felony conviction, you may not want to rent out to them, no matter how much money they have in the bank. They may pose significant rental property security risks and put your other tenants and neighbors in harm's way.
If you rent to them and they commit a crime on your property, you'll still have to evict them. The law may also hold you accountable and liable for your tenants' crimes.
Plan No. 2: Give Deserving Tenants a Chance
Another effective eviction prevention strategy is letting your tenants fix the issue for which you want to evict them. However, this plan should only apply to renters who deserve a second chance.
For example, suppose one of your tenants missed their payments after a long history of never giving you an issue with rent collection. They've also been ideal renters since day 1, upholding their end of the contract and being good neighbors.
Consider giving them another extension; they may have only encountered a financial problem they can soon resolve. They may still be able to pay within the extension period, and if they do, you won't have to deal with a lengthy, costly eviction.
Plan No. 3: Invest in an Eviction Protection Plan
The most straightforward way to protect yourself is to subscribe to eviction protection plans. These services are available from a reputable rental property management company.
An eviction protection plan will help cover some of the costs of evictions in Milwaukee, WI. Having this plan also means your property manager will handle the eviction process.
These plans immediately cover the tenants the management company has thoroughly screened. Their screening process alone can already give you more peace of mind.
Let PMI Property Pros Protect Your Property
At PMI Property Pros, we understand the eviction risk that Milwaukee property owners face. For this reason, we provide full-service property management solutions, including thorough tenant screening and eviction protection plans. We'll handle the process and cover up to $2,000 of eviction-related costs and fees.
So, contact us today, and we'll happily provide you with a free property consultation and discuss how we can protect you from evictions.
