How to spot nightmare tenants Part 3

How to avoid that nightmare tenant
1) Identify a good tenant on the first call.  Get their name, tel number and perhaps their email address.  If you can't call them back they've given you a fraudulent name and number.  Some people walk around with multiple ID's and names.  You don't want to know why they have multiple ID's.  AVOID THEM at all cost.  So how do you spot them.  Request two pieces of identification that has the same name and address on it. If they cannot produce two pieces of ID...........need I say more.
2) I need to move in right away.
Beware of the tenant that needs a place right away.  You don't get enough time to do any of the checks, landlord, reference, credit checks or verify any of the information that they supplied on the applicaiton forms. You may end up with a non -paying tenant and worse a squatter. If in fact you do encounter tenant that has a real problem and needs to find a place fast, you would have no problem getting copies of his paystubs, or any other documentation that you may require.
3) missing information on the application
- Request that information right away and watch their reaction and their reply.   No telephone number of their employer or landlord.  This might be a big hint that either they are no longer working there for their employer, and for the landlord, they probably may not want you to contact them for some reason.  If in doubt, throw the application out.
4)Is your tenant employed?
They may still be putting down the same employer even if they no longer work for them especially if they haven't found another job yet.   Check it out. Request a name of a supervisor and ask for this information right away, not after they move in or after they were approved. They may not be so forthcoming later.
5) Is the tenant self- employed.
 Request proof of income. Invoices are not enough as they do not show whether the tenant  has received these monties.  Bank statements to prove income is what you should ask for.
6) Every one of the tenants must sign, not just one of them.
You may end up with the tenant that signed leaving your property and the other with no lease signed staying.

How do you avoid nightmare tennants? Part 2

Nightmare tennants are not easy to spot.  They look like ordinary respectible people but if you do your homework you can minimize the likelihood of renting to a nightmare tennant.
 1) Get to know the tenant. Ask lots of questions.  Request copies of paystubs and make sure that they are recent paystubs and it has their name on it.  If the paystub is a few months old, chances are they are no longer working for them or not working as much.
2) Have them complete an application requesting the following information:
- the full name, date of birth, their social security number and address in the last  5 years.
- name, address and telephone number of their previous landlord
-amount of previous rent and why they are moving
3) Follow through on checking their answers.
-Call their last landlord and just to make sure that they are the landlord verify the address that their tenant lived in including their zip code/postal code.  If they can't tell you that then you know you are not talking to the landlord.
-Ask them why they are moving, if they paid the rent on time, the amount of rent that they paid. If there is hesitation or they can't remember, you know what that means
4) Have them sign the rental application on two separate spots.
-first spot- I hereby certify that the information provided is true and complete and that I have not witheld any information. I undertstand that the owner reserves the right to  reject this application. I have read and understand these conditions.
this should be signed and dated by the applicant and co-applicant.
-second spot: I/we hereby give irrevocable permission to the owner or their agent to obtain a consumer/credit report about me.us and to contact previous landlords to obtain information about  my/our previous tenancies and/or to contact agencies that provide landlord information, contact my references and take any necessary steps necessary to assess this rental application. I/ we also provide irrevocable consent to the Landlord or their agents to disclose information from my rental application and information arising from any tenancy between us to any third party for the purpose of contributing information on a database of tenant information to be used in providing consumer/credit reports.

Check out this website: it does credit checks on both Canadian and American tenants:  Membership is only $30 per year and you get two free credit checks with your membership.  (As of this publishing, these were the rates,  Please note that these rates are subject to change)  The website is Tenchek. They keep a database delinquent tenants as well. They will supply you with the Tenant application  which is a requirement.

5 of the worst nightmare tenants Part 1

1) The animal lover
    - They ask if animals are allowed, you say no and they tell you they don't have any.  ( an alarm bell should sound at this point).  When they move out, the place stinks and the carpet has all kinds of stains in it
2) The party animals
   - If you rent to students expect this.   Endless comings and goings.  Complaints from neighbours about noise at all hours of the night.  You let them know about the complaints but nothing comes of it. Eviction is the only solution
3) The chronic late payors
   -This type of tenant is always difficult to spot. They appear respectable and trustworthy on first inspection but a couple of months into the tenancy and the rent is a few days late and the chase to get paid starts. Eventually you get the money but then the next month it happens all over again and a different excuse every month.  The arrears start mounting up and your cashflow suffers and  and it becomes more difficult to pay the mortgage on the property.
4) The extended family
   These tenants are also difficult to identify. Everyone likes a strong family – but these tenants take it one step too far.

The tenant moves in, perhaps on their own, or perhaps with a partner. Everything seems fine; the rent arrives on time, and you hear very little from the tenant. Then, a couple of months later, a friendly neighbour calls you because they are concerned about strange comings-and-goings. They tell you it looks like there are new people living in the property.

At the end of the tenancy, it becomes clear that the tenant’s entire family had been living in the property. The living room has been converted into a bedroom; the carpets are completely worn through; various pieces of broken furniture are strewn around. It costs you more than the value of the deposit to clean up.

5) The bureaucrats
   These tenants are always the hardest to spot. They might be young professionals, or perhaps recent graduates. They know a bit about the law, and want to make sure everything is done by the book from the start.

At the end of the tenancy, though, you inspect the property and find that there is some damage to the furniture. Nothing too major, but enough to warrant making a deduction from their deposit.

You inform the tenants of this, and they immediately tell you that they will not accept the deduction. They take the case to adjudication through the Deposit Protection Service, and you are tied up in months of wrangling.

True excuses that tenants have used for not paying the rent

1) My wife got her period last night.
2) We had the money on Saturday and since you did not come on time,  we spent it.
3) I have to wait until my wife gets home to give you the rent. (  Later that day)  She came home but went out to visit her friends.  She spend her half of the money so now I have to wait another month before we give it all to you.
4) How do I know you are the real landlord? I don't remember talking to you.

If you live in Idaho.....

Here is a website to help out any landlords who live in Idaho.Just click on the link Idaho