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!