Landlords and leases

[Dee-Texas]

Hello All,
I've noticed this past year that many of my renters, have no regard for leases. I usually have a one year lease....the thought is to hopefully keep someone that long. In my area and blue collar housing, people rent, put up a deposit and then just walk in 4 months. And...of course I have the problem of re-renting, cleaning, and sometimes painting.
If I file on them for the rest of the lease, I'm out another $150.00 at the very least. Once I get a judgment our courthouse never turns it in to any of the credit bureaus. This goes for evictions also.
I found this out AFTER I got a $5,000.00 lien against a T/Ber. Two years down the road I saw him in a new car, had someone pull his credit for me and NO WHERE was MY lien.
How do you other landlords do your time of lease and do you go after them for the remainder of the lease? Are you a member of some landlording, something that helps?
My attorney said this is common for Texas.?????
Any ideas?
Dee-Texas

[tedjr]

If you go to the trouble to evict them and they answer and have to go to court go ahead and get the judgement. You never know they may pay you. Judgements do show up on credit reports but I do not think it is automatic. i hope someone can help here. If they own real property yea right the judgement will show up if they sell. I deal mainly with low income tenants and never have gotten a dime in 10 years. You could do better if middle low lower middle class tenants.  I go ahead and get the default judgement and possession if I can get possession faster without going for the money judgement. In other words if the tenant does not answer the eviction, you can get a default judgement for possession on the next day without going to court, but you get possession only and no money judgement. I hope i explained that OK for you. Call if you need more help

Thank you,

Ted P. Stokely Jr
11505 Sw Oaks
Austin, Texas  78737

512-301-9171 home
512-587-6177 mobile

[travistane]

Other landlords assess a penalty if rent is late .  the total amount of the contract, which usually is stated in the lease, will be changed depending on whether it is discounted or penalized. If discounted, the total contract amount will not reflect the discount but will be the full or larger amount. In event of a lawsuit by a landlord, the landlord would likely request payment in full for the entire lease term, which would be the larger amount.

[kdhastedt]

They're not listening...those posts are over EIGHT YEARS old!

Keith

[LarissaLima]

no, you should not have to sign a new lease. the last one you signed is good, but she can change terms, as noted, and have you sign a new copy noting the changes. so, you should make sure that the original terms, i.e. $ and length of lease are the same. she cant evict you as the terms sit now, but she can once she amends the terms and you dont follow them. most cities have a dept on renters rights. do a search for your state and city to find your nearest. they give free advice. they are big around college towns