Professionally managed properties respond to this by issuing a “pay or quit” notice immediately when you miss a payment, then begin eviction proceedings as soon as they can. Sometimes it can take a few months, but they’ll have the cops come and escort you away if they have to. At my apartment complex, like clockwork, you’ll see folded-over papers taped to doors the first week of every month. Home owners renting a room or two might be more forgiving, but every property management place I’ve heard of doesn’t care about your life situation or whatever. You might get super lucky and get a manager willing to give you a few extra weeks to make rent, but typically they start trying to evict you as soon as they can to cover themselves.

I think understanding the law is key here, so you can reduce your risk as an owner.

If it takes 2 months to evict someone, then your deposit should be 2 months and you start the process the day after rent was due.

> If you want "tenant rights" you can sign appropriate lease contract that allows you to stay longer in case you are in some trouble

“Tenants do not highly value protection from eviction” at the time of lease signing “because the objective probability of arbitrary eviction is small” [1]. (The same paper notes that subsequent to the introduction of [German] eviction control in 1971 and 1975, the number of evictions first decreased and then, after some short time interval, returned to its normal average.”)

[1] https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/92900/1/Homburg1993T...

> you can sign appropriate lease contract

Well, the thing is, by coming to an agreement, you automatically enter a contract. There is not need for a signed piece of paper; a written, explicit contract is just for both parties to be clear on the terms, to deviate from default terms set by law, and to make possible litigation easier. You do not need to sign a contract if you buy a piece of gum from a vending machine, yet, legally, it is the same process as buying a car.

If I agree to let you stay in my apartment as your residence (that is, not simply a visit), we have entered a lease contract. Thus, tenancy laws come into effect. There is no need for a piece of paper to make what we have a lease.

I don't know where do you live, but I'm happy that "you over there" do things with a handshake. Over "here" without a contract only a court of law can determine who is at fault when two sides (owner - tenant) have a fall-out. And a (proper) piece of paper protects both sides by stating the rights and obligations.

Verbal contracts do exist. But hey, a piece of paper with signatures looks sooooooo much better in a court of law :)

> But hey, a piece of paper with signatures looks sooooooo much better in a court of law :)

It does. But the parent post suggested that if there is no signed lease, tenant laws should not apply, and I tried to point out that it does not work that way.