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

In Parker Gray, our management staff wants to deal with reasonable renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A renter is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not break the property.
5. A renter is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A renter complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the property.
10. A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord 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 troublesome renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out unreasonable renters.