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

In Rosslyn, our management staff wants to deal with good renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A good 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. An ideal tenant is trustworthy. An ideal renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A great tenant is neat. A good tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. An ideal tenant does not break the property.
5. A great renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A great tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A trustworthy renter doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A trustworthy tenant reports problems at appropriate times. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A reliable renter doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a trustworthy renter doesn't ask to upgrade functioning systems. A trustworthy renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A good tenant doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A trustworthy renter does not smoke in the home.
10. A great renter is looking for a rental term 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 measure up to this standard? Experience has taught us that difficult tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with great jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out bad renters.