How to Ask the Right Questions on a Rental Application
Troublesome tenants can be very difficult to evict from your property. Landlords who want to avoid hassles, stress and financial loss learn how to identify potentially problematic renters during the application process. By asking comprehensive and probing questions on applications and in interviews, landlords can increase the likelihood that all the tenants they accept will pay their rent on time and take proper care of the house or apartment. Use the rental application as a filter to help you avoid rent evaders, troublemakers and people who want to use your property for criminal activities.
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Instructions
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Ask questions about the candidate's credit history. Confirm the answers by doing a credit check on the individual. If the credit check reveals that the candidate was dishonest in the application, don't rent to him.
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Ask about past and present employment. Look for signs of instability such as many short-term jobs or unexplained gaps in work history. A tenant who has worked at the same job for many years isn't guaranteed to be a good tenant, but odds are greater that she has some stability and consistency in her life, both good characteristics for a prospective tenant.
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Find out about the candidate's rental history. Contact previous landlords and get recommendations. Be aware that some potential tenants will give you phone numbers of friends who will pose as previous landlords.
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Request an acknowledgment in the form of a signature that the candidate has read and understands your terms of rental. These can include date and manner of rent payment; restrictions on pets, children or number of cars; and expectations about noise levels, parties and potentially disruptive activities.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid questions that may be interpreted as being prejudicial. Don't include any questions about the candidate's age, race or religion.
References
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