There are a few tell-tale signs of potentially bad tenants, and it’s important to be aware of them before renting to someone. Some common issues include tenants who don’t pay rent on time or at all, those who damage the property or leave it in disrepair, those who sublet without permission, those who are a nuisance to their neighbors, and those who don’t keep the property clean.
Screening tenants is one of the most important parts of being a landlord, and avoiding bad tenants is crucial for maintaining a good tenant base and protecting your investment. There are a few things you can do to screen tenants and weed out any bad apples:
Request References
Request references from past landlords and then contact them to ask about the tenant’s payment history, damage to the property, and overall behavior before handing them a lease agreement for your rental property. If they are hesitant about or won’t give you references for past landlords, they might not have behaved properly at their previous residence. This can be a major red flag.
Past landlords will be mostly straight with you about the tenant, especially if they’ve been wronged by them. Reading everything on paper about a person does not give you a full picture. It’s really important you follow through with this step and ask other people to be upfront and honest with you about the potential tenant.
Check Credit Score
You can also check a tenant’s credit score. A low credit score could indicate that the tenant is unreliable or has difficulty paying bills on time. You should also look to see if they have any history of bankruptcy. That can be a sign that the potential tenant has a history of overextending themselves, and maybe they won’t be able to afford the rent rate you set for your property. You can ask them for their Credit Karma scores and/or their Experian scores as both offer free access options.
Do a Background Check
You can also do a background check and check the nationwide eviction history report to see if the tenant has a history of criminal behavior, bankruptcies, issues with previous landlords or property owners, etc. Look for criminal offenses such as theft, possession, vandalism, domestic violence, a history of refusal to pay rent, etc. If the prospective tenants are repeat offenders and haven’t shown any signs of repentance or reform, they may bring that behavior into your rental unit. We’re not saying to judge a book by its cover, but actions often speak louder than words, and it doesn’t hurt to be prepared with all of the information so you can protect yourself, your property manager, and your assets.
If you need to evict a tenant who is causing issues, but you’re worried about your personal safety, hire an eviction services firm to handle the eviction for you. By hiring someone like Rocket Eviction, you won’t have to have in-person contact with your tenant. They will take care of everything for you. They will deliver eviction notices, file paperwork with the courts, provide legal aid to you, and, if it comes to this, they will coordinate with local authorities to forcibly remove an unlawful tenant from your rental property. Contact them today for more information about their affordable service offerings.
Interview Your Prospective Tenant in Person
Finally, always interview your prospective tenant in person. This will give you a chance to get a sense of their personality and see how well they’ll mesh with your other tenants. If there are any red flags, don’t hesitate to acknowledge them.
If you don’t feel qualified or confident enough to interview people in person, hire a property management company. Property management companies have a lot of experience with the screening process and sniffing out bad tenants. Your property managers can help you with other things like collecting rent payments, drawing up a lease agreement, collecting the security deposit, property maintenance, etc.
Do Your Due Diligence to Avoid Bad Tenants
Screening tenants is one of the most important aspects of being a landlord. By following these tips, you can avoid renting to a bad tenant and ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved. If you rush the screening process and accept someone right away because you’re in a hurry or you don’t have time to properly vet your potential tenants, you may actually spend more time and money later on when that person starts causing major problems. To avoid leasing to terrible tenants who don’t pay rent or destroy your rental property, hire a property manager or property management company to do the tenant screening process for you.
And don’t think that unruly tenants are oblivious. They often seek out complacent or inexperienced landlords or landlords who seem like pushovers because they know they have a better chance of getting away with poor behavior or illicit activities.
If you’re at the point of needing to evict some bad tenants, don’t go through the process alone. There are affordable and reliable eviction services firms, like Las Vegas’ Rocket Eviction, who will guide you through the whole process and take care of the eviction for you, so you don’t have to deal with unruly tenants and so you can get your property back ASAP. Contact them today; don’t wait any longer!
