Took over apartment building management. Tenant from hell. Help!

A landlord has hired me to manage his accounts. He used to go collect his rent from the tenants, most tenants did not have a lease, and several are behind in rent. One tenant is refusing to pay here, sign a lease and has even sent me a letter stating her obligation is to pay the landlord only and not my office.

How would you handle this??

If the Landlord did not send out notice to all his residents that a new management company has been hired as his Agent of Record, then the new management company should send one. The letter should state that a new management company has assumed management for Landlord and as his Agent, will be handling all day-to-day operations, including information as to when and where to send rent payments, that all leases will be audited etc. Usually this is presented in a positive, friendly language. Shortly after, letters are sent regarding leases and the renewal process, inviting those whose leases have lapsed to renew within a 60-day period. I think it can be difficult for some people to accept change and they need to be eased into it. But after the first 30 days if you don't hear from some residents, send another reminder letter. I would start eviction on those who do not pay or have not paid. If that one person still sends rent checks to the owner, then the owner should alert you and send that payment to you or deposit it himself (and then update your accounting.) Owners hire management companies to manage these issues, but must understand that overnight change can be hard for residents Owner has allowed to pay late or continue to break his "rules."

A letter should be sent from the landlord to the tenant notifying them that he has selected a management company to handle the rental and provide the information in the letter of how the rent is to be paid..also cc the management company so that a copy will be on file

For those who won't sign leases, give me the required notice that their rent will increase to the month to month rate. Be sure to mention what you will be doing for them and why you believe your services will benefit them. ADD VALUE!

Give your tenant from hell a little extra attention to sooth things over. Always works for me.

In addition to the comments above, it looks like his rentals are in need of rehab. Look into rental reporting so that non-payment shows up on their credit report. Rental reporting is fairly new relatively and these will motivate your tenants to pay on time or leave. Eviction processes can take some time so always start the process immediately. Feel free to reach out to me for reputable rental reporting agencies. You may even be able to report for free.