Vetting Tenants — How we protect the landlord’s interests.

In Northampton, our team wants to work with reasonable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we expect.

1. A renter pays the rent on time every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not misuse systems.
5. A renter is courteous and nice to work with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't disturb neighbors.
7. A renter complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to replace functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A renter does not smoke in the rental.
10. A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the property.

So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who live up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult renters.