Change in contract (late rent fees)

[jgold]

Florida

OK I have been renting my property since last October to these people. They have been late every single month, I have to call and harass them until they pay. I even moved the due date at a later date of the month so it is due when they get paid. They are still late every month. I rely on the rent money to pay the mortgage on the property and every month the rent is due I get stressed with these tenants.

I would like to know if I can do one of these 2 things.

1-terminate the contract and kick them out
or
2-change the late fee of a flat $50 late fee to $50 PER DAY once the rent is late.

Can I do that?

 

[xylene]

1-terminate the contract and kick them out
or
2-change the late fee of a flat $50 late fee to $50 PER DAY once the rent is late.

Can I do that?

You can evict a tenant for chronic late payment

You cannot unilaterally change the lease.

 

[atomizer]

Your problem was not the tenants pay period or when the rent was due. You problem is that your tenants need training. You have to take a direct approach by sending them a letter stating that late rent will no longer be tolerated and that you will issue 3 or 5 day notices and will proceed with eviction if they don't pay on time.

Had you done a thorough screening on them you would have known that this was a problem at their last residence.

 

[jgold]

If I terminate the contract can I deduct the commission I paid to the Realtor from their deposit or forfeit their deposit? I paid almost $3k in commissions for 1 year, if they live there for 6 months I would lose half of the commissions I paid.