Top 3 recommendations for choosing suitable renters

You can reign supreme over tenant selection. Avoid becoming agitated when reading that renter application by asking yourself three crucial questions:

• Are they able to afford the property?
• Will they be able to handle it?
• Is it simple to cope with them? We can’t help but fall in love with people who check the following boxes.

1. Are they able to afford the property?

“Well, it’s a money game”…

Check their income; it should be at least three times the rent. Verify earnings with their company and weigh on-target vs. base earnings. While anyone can rise from poverty to riches, be wary of people who are relocating in search of a future job they do not currently have.

“Are you feeling lonely tonight?”

Keep an eye out for housemates who aren’t listed on the application – Compare the number of individuals on the app to the number of rooms available. Be wary if five persons show up for the examination of your two-bedroom apartment. We always enquire about the specifics of who will be residing there.

“You’re the devil in disguise”

Do they have any verifiable references? References are an excellent approach to check that tenants are reliable and capable of paying their rent. It also matters who is providing the reference; they may claim that the applicant walks or talks like an angel, but if none of the references are professional, or if the references have the same surname as the applicant, it’s worth questioning why.

Former landlords make excellent references; the first question we’ll ask is, “Would you rent to this person again?”

Return to sender if the answer is anything else than a resounding yes.

Finally, if the applicant objects to any database check (whether it’s referees, the National Tenancy Database, the employer, or identity), there’s a good reason for it.

2. Will they look after it?

“Hound Dog”

If pets are involved, find out all the specifics – Pets are great, but make sure you know what kind of pets they have and how many they are before you go.

“Baby, let’s play house”

Make sure they’re careful during the inspection; if they give off a bad vibe, it could mean they don’t care enough about the property to keep it up to date. We keep an eye out for small details; if they don’t take off their blue suede shoes when we do, it’s a good clue they won’t respect the property.

“Burnin’ love”

Keep an eye out for smoking red flags - if we spot tenants inspecting smoke alarms during inspections, we’ll be on the lookout: indoor smokers frequently disable smoke alarms to avoid detection. If they ask if the window screens are removable, they’re probably going to smoke while leaning out the window. They may eventually decide that leaning out the window is too much trouble.

3. Are they simple to work with?

“A little less chit-chat”

Those who make many requests should be avoided – When tenants move in, it’s customary for them to make a couple of minor requests. But if they’re making excessively demanding ones at move-in, you might have a Moody Blue on your hands; picture how they’ll be during the tenancy.

“Don’t Be Cruel”

Keep an eye on how they treat others — They will be difficult to work with if they can’t manage to control their emotions or act disrespectfully towards those around them.

“I just can’t help myself from believing”

Listen to your instincts - If you get a negative feeling about a candidate, don’t hire them. Your instincts are probably correct, and that person will not be a good tenant. Remember, a bad tenant selection will always be on your mind, so keep each of these points in mind while letting out your Graceland, and you’ll avoid checking into the heartbreak motel.