As a homeowner, you have probably seen it all – organized tenants who keep your unit clean, pay the rent in time, cause no problems to the neighbors, and maybe even cooperate with other tenants to create a community. On the other hand, you have probably experienced unfriendly people who have problems with absolutely everything, who are rude to other tenants, damage the equipment, use your unit for more people than the contract consented to, regularly ask for payment postponement, or simply even refuse to pay at all.
As a homeowner, you have probably seen it all – organized tenants who keep your unit clean, pay the rent in time, cause no problems to the neighbors, and maybe even cooperate with other tenants to create a community. On the other hand, you have probably experienced unfriendly people who have problems with absolutely everything, who are rude to other tenants, damage the equipment, use your unit for more people than the contract consented to, regularly ask for payment postponement, or simply even refuse to pay at all.
The homeowner knows well that it is not all about money. Of course, it is an extremely important part of renting, but in time payments do not automatically mean that you have found a holy grail of tenants. You don’t appreciate having a troublemaker terrorizing neighbors with bad smells, smuggling people you didn’t agree to reside in the unit, throwing wild parties in the middle of week, playing the vuvuzela every morning before dawn.
Let’s engage our imagination a bit. A person contacts you reacting to an offer of a vacant unit claiming he is interested. What are the features the promising tenant should display? What are the good signs to notice?
- Friendly & interested: A universally good sign. People who care in a friendly way are probably those who are able to appreciate what you are providing them with
- Accepts screening process (if applicable): No matter if you ask for a confirmation of the non-existence of arrears or a reference from the previous landlord, the aspiring tenant agrees to prove anything that may be the decisive factor of acceptance.
- Punctual: If you arrange a unit showing, both agree on the time of the meeting, there is no reason for the tenant to be late. It is a bad sign if he comes late, worst-case scenario even without an apology. Accidents and unpredicted situations happen and if this is the case, the way a person faces it, explains, and apologize is what you should be interested in.
- Answers your questions directly: There are simple yes or no questions that don’t need heavy consideration to answer. Do you smoke? Do you have pets? Are you employed? Will you live here with other people or family? No brainers.
- Ready to prove regular sufficient income: A person who obscures his income, provides vague information on his employment history, is always suspicious. Not being able to prove what the person claims is a fairly red flag.
- Responsible employee: When you decide to verify the employer’s reference, you won’t encounter any annoying surprises. Is the aspiring tenant a trustworthy person? If for the employer it is so, most likely you will have a similar experience.
- Has a record of on-time rent payments: Great! Now you know this person understands the importance of paying on time. Thoughtful people understand that you also have accounts to pay and payment deadlines you need to meet.