Eviction, Tenant Screening & Tenant Placement by your Atlanta Property Management Company
At ALH|Podland Realty & Rental Homes Property Management, an Atlanta property management company, we offer eviction protection through the usage of our tenant screening and Guaranteed Tenant Placement Warranty. Even though we work hard to ensure that every property we manage is well-maintained, while simultaneously keeping both our residents and owners satisfied, tenants life brings them surprises which they can't manage financially.
Our Atlanta Property Management company takes screening our prospective tenants very seriously, which is why we begin screening the prospects BEFORE they even see the property. Our screening process begins with requesting a showing. It's at that time we ask about the prospects job, pets, smoking, landlord issues or lawsuits, judgement or bankruptcies. If their answers don't fit the requirements, they are automatically denied a showing.
Our leasing agents, are watching the prospects when they come to the appointment. Are they on time? Clean? Respectful? Do they have their paperwork in order? Have they read the requirements for the rental? After each appointment, we have the leasing agent report and the prospect fill out a questionnaire to make sure that the process is working on all sides. We want comments from the prospects just as much as we need and use the comments from the agents.
Once an application is filled out, fees are paid and the approval process begins, we ran credit, criminal, background, credit score...and much, much more. From here, our protection plan begins. Our stringent requirements for qualifications ensure that our tenants are financially capable and responsible to pay rent and keep the property in clean condition.
Six Months Tenant Replacement Warranty
Our strongest Eviction protection plan is our stringent qualification requirements and prospect approval process. That's why we offer a six months tenant replacement warranty, just in case something happens and we need to replace a tenant we had approved and placed into your property.
The eviction procedures, as a process can be a very stressful. It requires a thorough understanding of Georgia laws and a strict adherence to them. We have documented some of the steps in this process for your knowledge.
Please note this is not intended as legal advice – should you seek legal advice we recommend you contact an attorney in this field.
Due Date:+
Rent is due on the 1st of the month and considered late on the 3d. If the 3d falls on a weekend or holiday we consider rent paid on time if received the next business day.
Demand for Possession Letter:+
We do not send a “Late” letter. If rent is not in by the 3d at 5pm, we will send what Georgia Tenancy Law calls a “Demand Letter.” This letter is required by Georgia law and demands possession of the property, or payment of the rent.
Dispossessory Proceedings:+
If rent is unpaid by the 6th (depending on what day of the month the weekend falls), Dispossessory forms will be filed and the associated fees paid, to the county where the property is located.
Service:+
The court clerk will forward the Dispossessory warrant to the sheriff for service. Once the sheriff has served the tenant they have seven days to respond to court with an answer. This portion of the service, we hire out and have our Dispossessory Warrants delivered in 24 hours to speed up the process. If the tenant pays their rent (or moves- out), the process ends, as do your costs. If the tenant answers the complaint on or before the seventh day the court will set a date for a hearing. This date could be anywhere from one to two weeks from the date of the tenant’s answer, depending on the county and time of year.
Court Appearance:+
In most cases we attend the court on your behalf, if a case is more complicated, we hire an eviction attorney who attends court on our behalf. When management attends the court proceedings, the cost is an hourly rate, plus a trip charge, and varies based on the distance, time traveled, and time spent in the courtroom waiting to be heard.
Consent Order:+
Usually we get a “consent order” from the judge at the hearing demanding possession. The tenant will have seven days to pay or move out.
Buying the Writ:+
If the tenant fails to move by the court given deadline, we purchase the writ giving the local sheriff the right to physically move the tenant’s possessions out. The cost of the writ runs $40-$60.
Actual Eviction:+
The sheriff or marshal’s service controls the calendar for scheduling the eviction (taking all of the tenant’s possessions out of the property). The scheduling could take a week or more. Some counties are faster than others. They will call us with a date for this action and we will notify you. When the day of eviction comes, they will give us less than an hour’s notice to meet them at the house with a crew of 2 men per room (eviction personnel). We will call you when the dispossessory is completed.
Accepting Partial Rent:+
Occasionally a tenant will offer to pay part of the rent during the eviction accepting less than all of the rent the courts require. If this occurs, we begin the process all over, and we will lose at least 30 days! We will refuse partial payments unless you instruct us to do otherwise.
