If I Pay My Rent Can I Still Be Evicted?

When you’re living as a renter, the fear of eviction is among the most terrifying things you can experience. The thought of losing your home and the one place that’s supposed to be stable and reliable is enough to strike fear into anyone’s heart, but for renters this fear is something that has to be faced daily.

Of course, the responsible renter doesn’t have to be worried about eviction. As long as you pay your bills on time and make rent each month, you’ve got nothing to worry about; right? Well… you might. You see, even if you’re the model tenant and always pay your rent on time, you may still have to take measures to avoid eviction. 

Causes for eviction besides failure to pay rent

You see, even if you pay your rent and all expenses each month, there are a number of reasons for which your landlord can legally evict you. Of course, you’ll want to avoid this at all costs; so what has to happen for your landlord to legally have grounds for eviction? There are a couple of things that could happen, so let’s begin.

One of the most common causes of lawful evictions are lease violations. When you moved into your current residence, you more than likely signed a lease which specified a number of terms and conditions by which you must abide. If you violate any of these terms and conditions, your landlord has the right to evict you, so it’s always a good idea to get a copy of your lease and learn its contents.

Other causes of eviction include illegal activity occurring on the premises (such as the use of controlled substances or unlawful possession of a firearm), causing undue disturbance to neighbors and causing damage to the property. If you knowingly or unknowingly commit any of these acts, your landlord may have grounds to evict you. 

Of course, sometimes things are simply out of your control. If something unexpected happens and you find yourself fighting an eviction with scarce resources, do yourself a favor and reach out to people that can provide assistance in this matter. If you’re finding yourself without a place to live it's not too late to search for real estate agents in your area. These skilled, knowledgeable real estate professionals can advise you on which steps you should take next, and will help you at every step along the way.