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

In Williamstown, our management staff prefers to deal with dependable renters. Here are a few of the traits we seek out.

1. A tenant 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 renter is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not damage systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A renter knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A tenant reports problems at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to upgrade functioning systems. A renter 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 tenant does not smoke in the home.
10. A tenant is looking for a lease 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 tenants who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that difficult renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out tardy tenants.