So you have decided to rent out your property and you are now finding that your tenant is not paying their rent? This sounds like every landlords worst nightmare. You still have your mortgage commitment for your rental property and if your rent is not being paid this must come from your own pocket.

So what do you do to force your tenant to pay their rent or to start eviction procedures?

• If your tenant is in rent arrears you need to do your best to stay calm and try to make it work. If you immediately go for eviction you may find that your tenant is in the property, not paying rent for a longer period of time. You should try to negotiate with them about how they intend to pay off the arrears. In most cases people are willing to take responsibility for their bills and have genuine hardship for a short time. Get an agreement in writing as to how the payments will be made.

• Always contact the tenant as soon as the rent is missed. This makes it clear to them that you take note of when the rent is paid and that it is important to you that it is paid.

• If the tenant seems to have stopped paying their rent altogether and is not taking part in any negotiations, you have a more difficult situation on your hands.

• You may now have to go for a Section 21 possession order. It is considered reasonable to issue this notice of possession after two months of non-payment of rent. After this amount of time the Housing Act allows for mandatory possession.

• If your tenant still refuses to leave the property you must take the matter to the courts. This can be an expensive process and while the costs should be awarded to you in addition to the unpaid rent, your chances of getting this money are often slim.

• You may be able to employ bailiffs to get your money back but this can be difficult if your tenant has disappeared. Trying to sort this out while they are still in your property is the best course of action.

It seems clear that getting the right tenant in your property is probably the best way to prevent ever having to go down this route. If you tenant has not paid rent for two months, is served with an eviction notice and then you must find new tenants, you could be looking at six months without any rent. Doing your homework on your tenants is certainly the best way to avoid this.