Screening New Tenants

For those real estate investors who have opted to become landlords will have to deal with screening new tenants. If you screen well, then you will get good tenants which will make your life as a landlord much easier. If you cut corners in the screening new tenants process, you can end up in a court of law, being sued by the tenants or having to take the tenants to court for eviction or for other purposes. Below are some tips and rule for screening tenants, especially screening new tenants.

Rules for screening new tenants

These rules for screening tenants are guidelines but not everything you need to know about screening new tenants.

First of all, pets. If you don't allow pets in your properties and your potential tenants say they have pets but they also say they are getting rid of the pets, then you know that there is a chance they may not. While some people are true and honest about what they say, a large percentage of people hide their pets from their landlords. If you require pet deposit, then some potential tenants may not tell you about their pets to avoid more expenses.

Who your potential tenant comes with to view the property is very important. If your potential tenant comes with his or her parents and let the parents do most of the talking, then you know that either the parents will be living in your property without an agreement or parents have too much control over the tenant and if there is a problem you will have to deal with the parents instead.

If your potential tenant is engaged then it is likely that his or her fiance or fiancée will be moving in or living at your property most of the time. Also, after they are married, will they both be on the lease? As a landlord, you will need to keep track of who are living in your property.

If your potential tenant doesn't fill out the application form, you will need to ask why. There may be key information that they are hiding. If you ask for references and they have a problem with that or question it in some ways, then it is a red flag for you that there may be something wrong. References are often required in most real estate cases so it is normal to require some.

If you potential tenant comes to see your property, it is important to pay attention to how they get there. If they have a very junky car, then can they afford the monthly payments? Eviction is a process that landlords do not want to get into if possible. If they don't even have a car and got a ride with someone, it is also an indication that they may not be able to afford the rent payments.

If you are on the phone with a potential tenant, pay attention to the caller ID. You want to make sure that you have a legitimate prospect coming to see your property. If the caller ID says pay phone, it is not a good sign.

Kids can be a problem when it comes to rental properties. If your prospects have many children, you want to make sure that they are not children that will paint the wall green or destroy your property. Some children are uncontrollable and some parents don't control their children which make your life as a landlord harder.

If your potential tenant is too eager to get into your property, you should wonder why. Most people need to see the property before they sign the lease. If your potential tenant is willing to sign the lease without seeing the home, then you should also worry about not meeting them first.

Are the potential tenants polite and respect your property when they come to see it? Some people will just walk in without taking off shoes (if appropriate). Some people walk in with cigarette in their hand without asking if they could do so. Some people start treating the property as if it's thiers from the moment they step foot in the property. You need to judge if that potential tenant will be a good tenant for you.