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

In Frederick County, our team prefers to work with dependable renters. Here are a few of the traits we expect.

1. A good tenant pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. An ideal renter is trustworthy. A trustworthy tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A great tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A trustworthy tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A reliable tenant does not break the home.
5. A desirable tenant is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A trustworthy tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. An ideal tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A reliable renter complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A great renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that an ideal tenant doesn't ask to replace functioning systems. A great renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A great renter doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A great renter does not smoke in the home.
10. A good tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the real estate investor 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 difficult tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with good jobs. We have a knack for sniffing out difficult renters.