How to Avoid Renting to a Bad Tenant

Renting to a bad tenant can cause an on-going headache. No one wants a tenant who will not keep the unit clean or pay the rent on time. However, it can be difficult to determine whether a tenant is a bad or good. Here are some rules that will help you know that a prospective tenant is the wrong person to rent from you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• An observant eye
• Research skills

1. Note their appearance. Look for an excessive amount of animal hair on clothes, bad smells, and just an unkempt appearance. If a tenant cannot keep their body and clothing clean, then you cannot expect them to keep your apartment unit clean.
2. Look for forthrightness and honesty. Ask pointed questions during the home showing process and watch to see if the tenant is being completely honest with their answers. Ask why they are moving and how fast they need to move. Ask who will be living with them, and if they have pets.
3. Look at the application. You will often know if they are good even before you start calling references. If the application is not completely filled out, you may be dealing with a bad tenant. If the name on their driver’s license does not match the application (even with women using a different last name) you may be dealing with a bad tenant. If contact information on an application is false, you are definitely dealing with a bad tenant.
4. Double check the references on the application. Always be sure to check the information given for a previous property owner and tenant's job to make sure that the person you are calling isn’t actually a relative posing as a landlord or boss. This can be done through county records and reverse telephone directories.
5. Conduct a thorough screening. Screening prospective tenants can be expensive and many property owners skip this process. This will cause you to miss important information that may have saved you from renting to a bad tenant. If you cannot screen them professionally, call all references and Google them, to find if they truly are who they say they are.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the Internet to make sure the prospective tenant's previous address is what they say it is.
• Get a copy of the prospective tenant's drivers license.
• Do not let a sob story prevent you from diligently processing the application.