What can a landlord do if a tenant is late on rent payments?

If a tenant in North Carolina is late on their rent payments, their landlord is entitled to take action to recover their unpaid rent. A landlord may begin the process of terminating the tenancy if a tenant has failed to pay rent for more than 10 days. The landlord must serve the tenant with a 10-day notice to pay rent or quit, which indicates the amount of rent owed and the date the payment must be made. The notice must be served in person or mailed to the tenant’s last known address. If the tenant does not pay the rent or move out of the rental unit within 10 days after receiving the notice, the landlord may begin a court eviction process to terminate the tenancy. The landlord also has the right to recover costs associated with the unpaid rent. This includes late fees, collection costs, and attorney fees. The landlord can also pursue damages if they can prove that the tenant’s failure to pay caused substantial damage to the property. If the landlord is unsuccessful in their attempts to reclaim unpaid rent and eviction proceedings, they also have the option of reporting the tenant to a credit bureau. A negative mark on a tenant’s credit report could have serious consequences and may be more effective in ensuring future rent payments are made on time.

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What can a landlord do if a tenant is late on rent payments?

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