A lot of renters look for red flags in landlords, but what about the other way around? If you're a landlord and trying to find a great tenant for one of your rentals, you want to make sure you're being careful with your screening. Here's how to spot some big red flags in potential tenants, so you can weed out people who aren't a good fit and give the keys to a tenant who is less likely to cause an issue.
Don't Skip the Screenings
Any tenant that is asking you to skip tenant screenings such as credit history or a criminal background check is probably hiding something they don't want you to find. If there's nothing to find, why would they ask you not to look? You should always screen your tenants and don't accept the credit report or other alleged screening materials they conveniently brought along to show you.
Avoid the Serial Mover
Someone who moves around a lot could be a risky tenant because it shows that they don't stay in one spot very long. They may have skipped out on or broken leases to move in the past, and that means they might do that to you, as well. The same is true for someone who's had a lot of different jobs since moving for work could be another reason that they want to break a lease.
Consider Why Someone's in a Hurry
If you have a potential tenant who's trying to rush the process and get into an available unit right away, stop and consider why they're doing that. Are they about to be evicted from somewhere else? Is there something that's going to show up on their record and they don't want you to find it? Finding out why there's such a rush could be very important.
Always Trust Your Gut Instinct
At the end of the day, you want to get a good tenant and protect the property you're renting. If your gut instinct says "no" to any potential tenant, even if they look great on paper, it's best to avoid renting to them. Don't discount just not having a good feeling about someone who wants to rent from you, to increase your peace of mind.
Finding and qualifying a tenant for a house, condo, or apartment building can be a tedious task. Having to deal with dinner-time showings, canceled appointments, or worse no no-shows is all but good. This is why here at Terra Equity Management we offer a professional tenant placement service. Contact us today to get started!
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