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

In Quantico, our management staff prefers to deal with dependable renters. 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 tenant is trustworthy. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A tenant is reasonably clean. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not break the property or its systems.
5. A renter is courteous and nice to work with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't disturb neighbors.
7. A tenant complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause problems for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't demand to replace functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant 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 property.
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 tenants who live up to this standard? Experience has taught us that unreasonable tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out tardy renters.