Need your advice to handle unexpected tenants?

[littleMike]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

As an landlord, I had a lease with a family with 2 adults and 2 children with no more than 4 people allowed to live in the unit per lease. But neighbors repeatedly told me there are actually more than 8 people living there. When I asked the tenants, I was told other people were short term visitors. Now I believe there are indeed 8-9 people living there. Other than telling the tenants extra people must moving out, what else I can do to enforce this? How should I get evidence for this? Thanks for your advices.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? MA

As an landlord, I had a lease with a family with 2 adults and 2 children with no more than 4 people allowed to live in the unit per lease. But neighbors repeatedly told me there are actually more than 8 people living there. When I asked the tenants, I was told other people were short term visitors. Now I believe there are indeed 8-9 people living there. Other than telling the tenants extra people must moving out, what else I can do to enforce this? How should I get evidence for this? Thanks for your advices.

If you really feel that it would be better to have the unit empty rather than have that many people there, then you would need to start the process of eviction for the violation of the lease.

 

[STEPHAN]

Do you have a regulation for this in your lease? Like 7 days?

In MA for eviction reasons other than nonpayment of rent, the eviction notice is not specified in the law.

In your notice you must refer to the lease provision in violation and that the tenant may remedy the breach within the notice period, vacate the premises, or the lease will terminate and legal action will follow.

 

[DeenaCA]

How many bedrooms are in the unit?

Just FYI, it's probably better to write your lease so that it limits occupancy to "no more than XX persons" instead of "X adults and X children."

 

[STEPHAN]

I always name the tenants buy their full name in the lease including their kids.