Landlord Tenant Screening

The first and most important step to finding a responsible individual to rent your property is to obtain a tenant background check on your applicant. A written document perfectly outlining an individual's credit history, criminal history, eviction history, and rental history is the only way to guarantee that you are choosing someone suitable to maintain your property and honor their rental agreement.

In today's society, it can be difficult to find such tenants and, unfortunately, proof of reliability needs to be on paper. That is why it is essential to also perform tenant screening on the potential tenant. If you are fortunate to find a tenant who has good credit and a history of following rental agreements, then it is best to make every effort to keep that tenant. Keeping a tenant is easier than you may think! Here are some tips on how landlords keep great tenants around.

Tip #1: Maintain the Home
Many tenants choose to rent property instead of purchasing a home of their own so that they are not responsible for maintenance or replacement of things that break. Inevitably, something will need to be maintained, fixed, or replaced during a lease. If it is your responsibility as the landlord to fix anything within the home, and to do so quickly and efficiently. If you want a good tenant to stay, take their requests seriously and have the work done at the same pace that you would want it done if you were residing in that home. By showing that you care about your tenant's needs and the quality of the property, your tenants are much more likely to sign a new lease at the end of their current rental term.

Tip #2: Consider Keeping Rent Costs the Same
If you have a tenant that stays through their lease and follows all lease agreements, offer them a new lease at the same cost. Raising rent costs encourages tenants to look elsewhere, but offering the same rate as before encourages them to stay with you. A few months before your tenant's rental terms expires, offer the tenant a new lease at the same rate.

Tip #3: Offer Cash Back for a Longer Lease Term
As many landlords know, there will be times that your home will sit without a tenant. Ideally, you will have a new tenant lined up to move in as soon as another tenant moves out; however, this is not always the case. When you find a responsible tenant to live in your home, consider using an end-of-term bonus as an incentive to sign an extended lease. You may write in your lease agreements that upon completing a two-year lease, the tenant will receive a certain amount of cash back. Be sure to write in your lease agreement that this is not part of the deposit paid and any damages to the house will still be deducted from the deposit.

Keeping a good tenant is always more ideal than finding a new tenant, but when it does come time to find a new tenant, be sure to use Tenant Background Search to assist you. We are here to make sure that you choose someone who will care for your home the same way you do. Remember, when you find your perfect tenant, use these simple steps to keep them!

This entry was posted on October 16, 2015 at 5:35 PM and has received 12214 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.

Are you considering purchasing a property near a college or university with the intention of marketing your property as student housing? This can be a great investment and there are benefits of owning a property near a campus, but it is accompanied with some factors that are different from that of a regular rental property. Before you invest in a property for student housing, be sure you have educated yourself on the unique factors of owning a property that is to be occupied by college students, and make sure it is an investment you are ready to make.

Marketing Your Property
Among the best factors of owning a rental used for student housing is that there is little to no marketing involved in finding a tenant. When you own a property near a campus, potential tenants will come in crowds. If you post an ad announcing you have a rental space available, you are guaranteed to have applicants lining up to try to occupy your vacant rental.

Finding Applicants
By owning a property near a campus, you will always have a high supply of future tenants. With this being the case, you have the control of being pickier about who you choose to occupy your space. You don't have the pressure of choosing the first candidate that shows interest in your property since there will be many potential tenants enquiring. This also allows you some peace of mind knowing if one tenant breaks a lease, you can quickly have a new tenant in place.

Protecting Your Investment
College students often get a reputation for destroying homes, but a college student can in fact be just as responsible as any adult or family occupying your home. Many college students are enrolled in school solely for the education and hold jobs in addition to attending school in order to make an income. Housing college students is not necessarily a risk in and of itself, but you should make sure you are prepared for any incidents that could occur while students are living on your property. Your rental agreements should be written to protect you from any damages should an incident occur. You should also consider a larger security deposit than you would typically collect to be confident that you have a deposit that will supplement any potential damages. You will also want to do some tenant screening to ensure they are being totally honest with you.

Selecting a Lease Term
Typically a lease agreement lasts for a year. Unfortunately, when renting to students, a one-year lease is not always going to meet the needs of the market you are reaching. You will need to adjust your lease period to match the school year being followed by the nearby college.

Summer Vacancies
Your tenant's lease term is likely to end at the beginning of summer when college students return to their hometowns. This could mean that your property will sit vacant throughout the summer months. Take the possibility of summer vacancies into account when you are setting your monthly rental rate to ensure that you are making a profit off of your property all year round. You should also consider renting to those enrolled in summer school. If you choose to market to summer students, make sure you have a written rental agreement specific to summer tenants.

Owning a student housing property is unique and should be treated so. If you are unwilling to waver from the typical rental lease agreements, then student housing may not be an investment you should make. On the other hand, if you are able to be flexible with your rental agreements, you may experience great success investing in a student housing property!

This entry was posted on October 16, 2015 at 5:33 PM and has received 7290 views. There are currently 0 comments. Print this entry.