Those who own rental property in Oklahoma hope that they have good renters. Usually this is the case, but occasionally a property owner needs to evict their renter. There is a process for eviction “for cause” that Oklahoma property owners should be familiar with in landlord-tenant law.
The first step in an eviction is to terminate the rental agreement or lease. A landlord will need to have legal cause in order to terminate a lease. Legal cause can include unpaid rent, criminal activity or lease violations. In order to terminate, a landlord must give the renter notice. The amount of notice a landlord needs to give depends on the violation. In non-payment of rent, the landlord needs to give a five-day notice to pay the rent. If the tenant does not pay the rent in five days then the landlord can go to court and file an eviction notice.
If a tenant violates a lease agreement, the owner needs to file a 15-day notice to remedy. The notice will state that the tenant has 15 days to remedy the violation or the landlord can terminate the rental agreement. If the violation is not remedied, the owner can go to court to file an eviction notice after 15 days. An owner can also immediately terminate a lease and go to court to file an eviction notice if the property owner commits any criminal activity that threatens the health or safety of other tenants, if the renters are involved in illegal drug activity or if the tenant causes harm or threatens to cause harm to another person on the premises.
It is important for property owners to know they have legal rights when it comes to their renters. Property owners should know under what circumstances they can have their renter evicted for cause and the process that they need to undergo.
Source: Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 41 § 132
