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

In Forest Heights, our management staff wants to deal with reliable renters. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.

1. A tenant pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A tenant is trustworthy. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A renter is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not misuse 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 complains at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand 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 home.
10. A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the rental.

So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who live 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 bad tenants.