Have eviction set for next week but tenants left last week, however, they did not return keys which normally is used to indicate possession. I am assuming I still should not do any work on the house and still go through the eviction even though they are not in the house?
There is a lot of damage that needs to be fixed so I am trying to figure out whether to wait another week or not.
You don’t say what state you are in. Different states have different rules.
State is Ohio
Search around on your state website; there might be some very good info (there is for Calif; where I am).
With that said, I think some general rule probably apply here. If the the tenant has appeared to remove all their possesions then I would take possesion (enter the unit). If you find anything that does not appear to be trash, then I would take some care not to sell it or remove until you understand what the local laws are. Improper disposal of former tenants items in some states (like Calif) can get you trouble. I would suspect that Ohio is more pro-landlord, but just a guess.
BTW, be sure to add the expense of re-keying the locks to the bill since I would assume if you were using a std. lease agreement, you would have a provision about the landlord/mgmt compny having a copy of the key.
This is fresh in my mind since I just did a fairly drawn out eviction of a tenant in Calif.
Bottomline: check your state website; look under consumer affair or something similar.
Mike