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

In Prospect House, Nesbitt Realty likes to deal with good tenants. Here are some of the traits we seek out.

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 is honest. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not break the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and easy to get along with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to upgrade 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 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 lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the home.

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