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

In Reston Homes Sale, our management staff likes to work with reasonable tenants. Here are some of the traits we seek out.

1. A tenant 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 is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not overwork the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A renter reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners 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 upgrade 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant 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 renter, but how do we find renters who measure up to this standard? 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 difficult tenants.