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

In Harrisonburg, our team prefers to work with reliable tenants. Here are a few of the traits we expect.

1. A great tenant 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 good renter is trustworthy. A desirable tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A great tenant is neat. A desirable renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
4. An ideal tenant does not damage the property.
5. A good renter is courteous and pleasant to get along with. A good tenant knows the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A reliable tenant doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A desirable tenant complains at appropriate times. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause head-aches for property managers.
8. A trustworthy tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a great tenant doesn't demand to replace functioning systems. An ideal tenant doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A great renter doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. An ideal renter does not smoke in the property.
10. A reliable tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the real estate investor wants to rent the home.

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 bad tenants can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with good jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out difficult renters.