NEED HELP! Can I evict my renter???

**Boston777** · 11-16-2009, 07:18 AM

I have a very big problem and I was wondering if anyone had advice for me. I own a condo and have a renter that prays every morning with an open flame. For the 3rd time today, she did not blow her matches out before leaving the house and I am incredibly nervous for my property and animals. They aren't candles in a container, they are actual matches that sit on top of a religious figurine, which is not stable and also sits on top of a wooden bookshelf. I have spoken with her numerous times about this, and she doesn't seem to understand how dangerous this situation truly is.

My question is: can I evict her? I know renters have an incredible amount of rights, but I am extremely nervous that my house is going to catch on fire. I am in a building with 5 other units, so if she sets fire to my place, she will most likely endanger the other units in the building. There is nothing in her lease that mentions fire damage or me being able to evict her before her lease ends.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!

**jasonthoele** · 11-16-2009, 11:03 PM

you need to call an attorney, the first thing that comes to mind is if your tenant is malicious she can go after you and say you want her out for religious reasons... not good.

contact a lawyer and have this done right.

**Moore** · 11-17-2009, 06:52 AM

I agree that you should consult the attorney because of her religious faith, but of course it's time to do something if your tenant can't catch some simple rules.

**Greg** · 11-17-2009, 11:50 AM

How do you know this is happening?

**woerter.carl** · 11-19-2009, 11:35 PM

Tenants are responsible for their deeds, who wants a home that is on fire anyways? If she leave the house with matches on,she is sure that it is safe to leave it like she used to. How did you know about this? You are entering a private life even if you are the landlord,don't you think so?

**houses for sale in pasade** · 11-22-2009, 07:24 PM

You can evict him if you found a proof that he is irresponsible for taking such irresponsible actions. But if there is none,you can't do that. Knowing that you are like spying him,is a violation of a person's privacy.

**Hollywood Landlord** · 11-25-2009, 03:35 PM

But as mentioned previously, you need to be very precise in how you go about it.

If she is in breach of her rental agreement, you have to first serve her with a warning- usually called a "Notice to Quit". The amount of time she has to end her actions varies by state and you can find that on the HUD website.

However, if you have to go through with the eviction and end up in court, you will have to explain how you know she is breaking these rules and provide proof.

**Ortigas houses** · 12-08-2009, 12:01 AM

You can evict her as you wish but make sure you are on the right side of it without violating her own rights.

**officespace** · 12-08-2009, 04:09 AM

In your situation,Yes you can but you need to proved that you are saying the truth,first you need the evidences,contract and of course attorney,and make sure that you didn't make anything against to her rights.

**cdloanmod** · 12-10-2009, 02:46 AM

Originally Posted by Hollywood Landlord

But as mentioned previously, you need to be very precise in how you go about it.

If she is in breach of her rental agreement, you have to first serve her with a warning- usually called a "Notice to Quit". The amount of time she has to end her actions varies by state and you can find that on the HUD website.

However, if you have to go through with the eviction and end up in court, you will have to explain how you know she is breaking these rules and provide proof.

^^The best advice here. Once you have a legal proof that the renter knows about the problem and then again you have the proof of her repeating the same mistake only then you can take her to the court. However consult your attorney before you take any concrete step.