Wanted: Perfect Tenants
Wanted: Perfect Tenants
The perfect tenant is something desired by every landlord across the Country. What qualities are landlords coveting the most? Obviously, the top characteristics are someone who pays on time, keeps the property clean, and submits maintenance requests through the proper channels. Anticipating whether a tenant is going to be a gracious saint or an absolute headache isn't as simple as reviewing an application. To have the most complete picture possible for your tenant, it is important to screen your tenants.
For residential leasing, it is smart to run criminal, eviction, and credit reports. Knowing an applicant's income allows you to determine if they can reliably pay rent each month. Eviction history can shed light on the applicant's rental history and alert you to trouble with any previous landlords. Criminal reports can let you know if an applicant has an unlawful past. You're unlikely to judge someone for a speeding ticket, but a burglary might indicate a tenant's integrity and reliability. So why spend time and money to make sure you have good applicants? Because not doing so could cost you even more.
The process of an eviction is filled with fees and unpleasantries. The average costs end up being $750.00 - $1,000.00 for an uncontested eviction. This figure jumps to $1,500.00 - $3,000.00 if the tenant requests a trial in court over the eviction. If the tenant hires a lawyer, those figures go up once more to $3,000.00 - $5,000.00 just for a single eviction. The financial impact a single eviction has can change the outcome of your business for the future. Rather than deal with stress of an eviction, take the time before hand and have your applicant screened to help prevent.