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

In Holmes, our team likes to work with good renters. Here are a few of the traits we look for.

1. A tenant pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A tenant has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A renter does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not overwork the property or its systems.
5. A renter is courteous and nice to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A renter complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter 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 tenant does not smoke in the rental.
10. A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the home.

So this is what we're looking for in a renter, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that unreasonable tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out unreasonable tenants.