Who Wants to Play the Rent-Free Game?

It is astonishing how many services out there today are shamelessly running businesses to outsmart lawyers and landlords. These “Eviction Delay” services, aids tenants to buy more time, staying longer than their allowed time in their respective properties. Many landlords are blindsided by these efforts by tenants to scam them.

Tenants are increasingly using these methods, and many companies are not even secretive about their objectives. An LA business known as “866 Eviction” has a hotline tenants can call to receive information on how to delay evictions anywhere from 2 to 7 months. Many of these companies advertise themselves saying they can help you work the system and stay rent-free. Other tactics include tenants picking apart nitty gritty details in the paperwork of the lawsuit.

According to an article from the Los Angeles Times, David Lazarus, contract reporter, states that many tenants just move from home to home every few months, rent-free and have become court savvy in the process.

The delaying games begin shortly after the landlord brings forth an initial unlawful detainer. The real problem begins once the trial is requested. This can take several months. Tenants have the opportunity to make claims to delay the process. Tenants can say that they weren’t given a sufficient notice for example.

Courtesy of the LA Times, “Julian Moutan, 866-Eviction's office manager, told me the company "is just helping the little guy." He said a few months of rent-free housing isn't much to ask of landlords, "considering how high the rents are in California." These types of businesses say that they only have good intentions to aid tenants in a compromising situation. But it’s also difficult for landlords as well since they rely on their tenants rent as form of income.