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

In Briarcroft, our team likes to deal with dependable renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.

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 tenant is trustworthy. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A renter is fastidious. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not misuse the property.
5. A tenant is courteous and easy to get along with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't disturb neighbors.
7. A tenant complains when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost real estate investors money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A renter does not smoke in the home.
10. A renter 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 renters who measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that difficult tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out bad tenants.