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

In Clifton, our management staff likes to work with dependable renters. Here are a few of the traits we look for.

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 renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A renter is fastidious. A renter does not bring pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not break systems.
5. A tenant is courteous and nice to get along with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A tenant complains at appropriate times. tenants 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 demand to replace 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the home.
10. A renter is looking for a lease 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 live up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that tardy tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out bad tenants.