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

In Northern Virginia, our management staff wants to deal with reasonable renters. Here are a few of the traits we look for.

1. A renter 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 renter has integrity. A tenant does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A renter is fastidious. A renter does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not destroy the property or its systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and pleasant to work with. A tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't disturb neighbors.
7. A renter complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't gripe 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 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 real estate investor 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 ideal? 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 difficult tenants.