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

In Chantilly, our team prefers to work with reliable tenants. Here are some of the traits we expect.

1. A renter pays the rent when due every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A tenant does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not damage the home.
5. A renter is courteous and easy to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't disturb neighbors.
7. A tenant reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand 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 renter 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 home.

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