Paramount Property Management Blog

1. Rush: After posting your rental you may get requests to speed up applications and feel pressured to rush or skip steps to hurry and get an applicant in.. Some applicants also may voice concern that you would accept their application and screen others at the same time. The screening process is very important. It is a key to keeping your costs low. A bad tenant will break the bank in missed rents, and repair costs. A new tenant is often entering into a contract that ranges from months to years. Take the time needed to check credit, criminal backgrounds, landlord verifications and references. Experienced landlords will tell you it is better to have an applicant walk on a rental agreement that to rush the process and miss an important bit of information and end up with a bad tenant.
2. Discriminate: While the majority of landlords would not want to discriminate against applicants, occasionally a property owner may discriminate illegally if they are not up on their Fair Housing Laws. Landlords must also be in compliance with Fair Housing Laws and the American Disability Act. Landlords sometimes make mistakes listing a home and marketing it with terms that are discriminatory. Avoid statements like, “perfect for newly weds” or “no children” or “great neighborhood for an elderly tenant” These can make other applicants feel discriminated again and are in violation of the Fair Housing Laws. Also remember service or companion animals are covered by the American Disability Act. Landlords cannot legally deny a tenant with a service or companion animal on the basis of a rental being “no pets” . Service and companion animals are not considered pets by law and landlords are not able to ask for an increased deposit due to these.
3. Fail to show the property securely: Showings can be busy and hectic, answer questions to multiple clients. It is important that you be at the showing, and answer questions, but also to keep an eye on the property. It is not uncommon for prospective tenants to wander through a home and unlock windows or back doors. Typically this is an innocent enough action, they often want to access the unit when another person will be off work later in the evening. It leads to your property being open to theft. After each showing check all doors and windows to make sure the unit is secure. Don’t give keys out, even with a credit card or Driver’s Licence on file, you never know who will make copies, or what damage could be done.
4. Don’t meet the tenant: There may be a few times someone moves into a new home site unseen, but this is a very dangerous area for a landlord. Landlords should meet tenants in person before a lease is signed. So much is missed in communications and interactions that are not in person. An experience landlord will be able to pick up on subtle red flags by a tenant in person. For example a person in a hurry that does not even want to see a rental, or keeps changing the subject over crucial questions can be a red flag. You want a tenant that is interested in your property and wants to live there, not someone indifferent or evading information. One landlord we have worked with rushed through the application process with a tenant who never saw the home. He had excellent credit, great work history and checked out okay with the criminal check. What was missed was that the applicant was in a hurry to get a rental because he had just been accused of child abuse and needed a rental prior to a criminal judgment. He applied and was approved prior to the criminal charges appearing and the landlord was upset to see the approved applicant that was convicted of child abuse was now renting his property right next door to the community playground.
5. Skip verification steps: It is not uncommon for a landlord to think that where credit looks good and criminal is okay, to move forward with out doing the hard work of verifying landlord information, checking court registries, and employment verification. Applications are expensive for tenants, ranging from $20-$50 for an application in Idaho you will find some applicants offer to bring their own credit report. It is important that the landlord verify information and do the leg work. One landlord discovered an applicant had lost his employment and was posing as an employee at an out of state company with the same name. Another landlord verified employment only to discover that the applicant had friends posing as the employer. Pending court charges can be found on county court registry. Employers can be reconfirmed using internet skills on Facebook, or company websites. Taking the extra steps to confirm information really pays off.   Finding a tenant is a business transaction of serious consequence. It tugs at the emotional heart-string because it is about homes and where our loved ones live, but it is important to keep on track to make sure that a tenant a smart business move and not make a hasty mistake that can end up costing you more later.