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

In Oakton Retreat, our management staff likes to work with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A renter 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 honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not break the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and nice to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A tenant reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter 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 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 measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out troublesome renters.