What To Look For In A New Tenant

By Author: Carolyn Clayton
Total Articles: 129
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The fact is that there is no way of saying whether a tenant is good or bad until you have had some experience in dealing with him or her. So, whenever you rent property there is a risk factor that you must take into account. That being said, you can considerably reduce this risk factor by making sure that the tenant you choose is truly interested in renting the property and has a stable job.

The Ideal Tenant Shows Interest In The Property
A fairly safe method of assessing how interested your potential tenants are is to notice their attitude when you show them the property for the first time. Look at how attentive they are when you speak, and see if they listen carefully to your conditions. Be wary of tenants who seem distracted because most of the time these are just weighing their options.

It's quite likely that you communicate with your potential tenants via email or telephone before you meet them in person. Observing how insisting they are, i.e. how many times they call, how many emails they send, also helps. Insistent people can be annoying, but often they are the best tenants – they really want the ...
... property.

Employed Tenants Are Good Tenants
Few landlords rent properties to tenants who don't have a stable job and you should do the same. This doesn't mean that all unemployed tenants are bad. However, unless these tenants are recommended by someone, they pose a higher risk.

Beware of suspicious individuals who are very eager to pay what you initially require without any negotiation – often these are the sort of people you won't see again after two or three months. Good tenants always wish to negotiate. They never settle for the first offer for the simple reason that they plan to occupy the property for a long time, so they must strive to get the best deal possible.

Age and Status Do Matter
Mature tenants are in general more dependable and pay their rents on time. Married tenants even more so. Couples with children, especially young children, are perhaps the most reliable of all tenants. They always pay on time. Though it may be surprising, students frequently make for excellent tenants – some may be a bit late with the rent, but that's more because of forgetfulness than unwillingness to pay. All in all, you should beware of stereotypes. It's true that certain groups of tenants are less risky than others, but exceptions do occur.

Good Tenants Don't Rent Until They See
When you use the web to find potential tenants you ran the risk of getting a lot of interest in the property, but no real tenants who come up and further their inquiries. While this is annoying, it can also have a certain advantage: it lets you spot the good tenants from the bad ones. Good tenants are always eager to see the property, to negotiate rates, to get details.
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