\n<\/p>\n
Once you\u00a0<\/strong>understand how things look from your tenant\u2019s perspective, you can decide how to proceed.<\/strong> You should be familiar with the<\/span>\u00a0local, state, and federal laws that apply here, so brush up on your knowledge before you make any moves.<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, these are some general options:<\/span><\/p>\n Yes, you can collect rent in jail.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>This is the easiest option if your tenant wants to retain their lease and can continue paying rent on time.<\/strong> It saves you from\u00a0serving an\u00a0eviction notice<\/a>, going to court, removing their belongings, going through a turnover, and\u00a0advertising<\/a><\/span>\u00a0the vacant unit<\/a>. However, this tends only to work if multiple tenants and one or more of them continue living in the property. If your incarcerated tenant does not wish to continue their lease or has no other recourse, you can ask them to certify that they have officially vacated the rental.<\/strong><\/p>\n This allows you to terminate the lease agreement mutually before the term ends. You\u2019ll need to devise a plan for dealing with the tenant\u2019s personal property. They\u2019ll need to sign off here, too, and it\u2019s best practice to have such a document notarized.<\/span><\/p>\n Next, the question: if someone goes to jail and leaves his or her belongings, what do I do with them?<\/span><\/p>\n Your first recourse is to ask the tenant for a contact to remove all their belongings from the unit.<\/strong> Ensure the tenant knows you\u2019ll charge them for removing any abandoned property and cleaning the unit if their contact fails to do so properly. And, of course, be careful to follow all local laws when dealing with abandoned property.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019ve exhausted all other options and can\u2019t reach a satisfactory agreement with your tenant, or if they quit paying rent, you may have to file for eviction. Nonpayment of rent constitutes a legal reason <\/span>when a landlord can break a lease agreement<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n As always, follow all applicable laws during this process. Otherwise, you\u2019ll probably be responsible\u00a0for the unit\u2019s cleanout costs.<\/strong>1: Continue the Lease As-Is<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n2: Ask Tenant to Certify That Property Is Vacated or Abandoned<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Step 4: Pursue Legal Eviction for Non-Payment if No Other Routes Exist<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n