Blog & Advice

Nightmare: Tenant Screening, Bankruptcy and Eviction

Naveen and his family

Naveen is a local St. Louis doctor who deals with people every day and believes people have good intentions. He also owns a rental property and has rented to good tenants in the past; however, his last tenants quickly became a nightmare. He rented to a seemingly decent man in his 30s and his mother.  Little did he know the man had a criminal record that included drug and violent crime convictions, had moved every few months, and had numerous prior evictions. When the tenant started harassing Naveen and he had had his fill from the tenant Naveen reached out to Real Property Management Gateway in St. Louis, Missouri. Client Relations Director, Annie Vatterott, shared, “The home owner is a young professional with a wife and new baby, and he sees the good in all people. He never thought this could happen to him.” Naveen had not done a background check.  “Until this tenant I got lucky with good tenants, and I didn’t fully understand how complicated it could be,” said Naveen. “We thought this would be a simple eviction, but it was far worse.  The tenant acted as a professional, criminal tenant.  He knew the details of the eviction process, filed bankruptcy to avoid eviction, and had rented another property previously while in bankruptcy. He even went as far as saying we needed a police escort to enter the home, and also told city officials he owned the condo.” Laws prevent tenants from being evicted while they are in bankruptcy proceedings.  Eventually the tenant’s bankruptcy filing dismissed due to the tenant’s non-compliance with the terms, and the Real Property Management Gateway team was successful in removing the tenant through the eviction process.

Naveen's property They know what they’re doing and dealt with the tenant mess I created,” Naveen says of Real Property Management Gateway. “Owning rental property can be scary and you may not realize what you can be held liable for.” Naveen’s story emphasizes the value of a professional manager, handling all aspects of property management according to law and without emotional bias toward tenants. It also supports our policy to thoroughly screen tenants as it in fact leads to fewer headaches and lost income. “Naveen’s condo is now rented for more rental income, to two hard-working millennials who pay their rent on time, treat the property with respect, and passed our rigorous screening process and background check!”