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

In Star Fort, our management staff prefers to work with reasonable renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A renter 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-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is neat. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not overwork the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and easy 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 renter reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the rental.
10. A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the rental.

So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find tenants who measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that troublesome tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out tardy tenants.