| Having the skill to recognize a problem tenant | | | | uneasy you can ask for a copy of the Lease or |
| before renting to them is perhaps one of the | | | | the rental verification to be sent on Letterhead. |
| most important a property manager will ever | | | | 4) The address listed on the application for |
| develop. Tenants do not all of a sudden become | | | | previous address does not match the address |
| "tenants from hell". There is a pattern of behavior | | | | reported on the credit report. Credit reports will |
| over their entire adult life that will show up when | | | | show previous addresses reported by the tenant |
| conducting a thorough background check. A good | | | | when applying for credit. If the tenant's application |
| property management company should be able to | | | | says they lived at Tranquility Lakes from 99-2009 |
| identify the signs of a potential "dead-beat tenant" | | | | but the credit report shows they lived at a |
| and disqualify their application. | | | | different address from 2007-2009, do the |
| 1) The applicant has little or no credit history. If | | | | research on the address listed on their report so |
| the applicant is young than most likely they just | | | | that you can receive the most accurate rental |
| have not established any credit of their own yet. | | | | history. You should require landlord information for |
| But there are other instances when this means | | | | their two most recent addresses. If those |
| the applicant is using a false social security | | | | addresses do not appear on their credit report, |
| number. Often times it will be the social security | | | | you should be concerned that the tenant is lying. |
| of an elder person who does not check their | | | | This is not always the case, but it is better to be |
| credit history. Our Tampa Property Management | | | | safe than sorry. |
| company has even seen applicants use the social | | | | 5) The credit report shows a balance due to a |
| security number of a deceased person in an | | | | Utility Company. If you ask the prospective |
| attempt to cover up their own bad history. | | | | tenant, they will usually pretend to be surprised. |
| 2) Verify the Employer information. Applicants | | | | Owing money to a Utility company is a major red |
| who have recently lost their job will often have a | | | | flag. In our experience, 90% of tenants with this |
| friend or family member pretend to be their | | | | kind of history turn out to be serious problems. |
| supervisor. I require our property managers to | | | | Do not approve anyone with this issue on their |
| find and call the main phone number of the | | | | credit report. |
| business and ask to be patched through to the | | | | 6) Immediate Move Ins. It is hard to resist |
| supervisor or HR Dept. Most legitimate companies | | | | someone with some cash in hand that wants to |
| will require you to fax in the application before | | | | rent the unit you have had vacant for 15 days, |
| releasing personal information on their employee. | | | | but often times the people looking to move in the |
| We also require two recent pay stubs. If you do | | | | same day are hurrying to get in because they |
| these two steps, you will find the tenants who | | | | have just skipped on their current lease or are |
| are attempting to lie to you very quickly. | | | | hoping to get in before something very negative |
| 3) Question the Landlord. If the previous address | | | | hits their credit history. Be very thorough and ask |
| was managed by an individual versus a verifiable | | | | a lot of questions. |
| property management company, pay close | | | | 7) The tenant has no rental history. You will |
| attention to their answers when speaking with | | | | encounter younger people on a regular basis with |
| them. Similar to their employment history, | | | | no previous rental history. I realize that some of |
| applicants will put the phone number of a friend or | | | | them will be decent tenants; however, it is not |
| family member as their current landlord so that | | | | worth the risk. They should only be approved |
| you don't find out they just skipped out on a | | | | with a qualified co-signer. |
| month's rent and trashed the unit. The person | | | | If you keep these 7 items in mind when qualifying |
| posing as their Landlord will often pause and use | | | | your prospective tenants, your property |
| "umm" and "uhh" when trying to come up with an | | | | management company will save a ton of money |
| appropriate answer to your questions. They do | | | | and aggravation by avoiding the dreaded |
| not know how to answer them in a professional | | | | "nightmare" tenants. |
| manner. Ask detailed questions and if you feel | | | | |