As a landlord, finding the ideal tenant to rent out your property is the most important step in leasing, and you must spend substantial time checking references and income and performing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you do, you can still encounter issues with tenants. Here are some of the top five things tenants try tricking landowners with.
Paying Rent
The first is not paying rent on time. Tenants will try to exploit landlords and give excuses on why they have not paid their rent on time. Popular excuses range from “I’m waiting for my paycheck from work to come in” to “You haven’t repaired damages in the house, so I shouldn’t have to pay rent until they are fixed.” The best way to keep these excuses from happening is to keep records of rent collection so your tenants can never say they paid you when they have not, always stay up to date on necessary repairs on your property, and perform regular assessments of the property to make sure everything is running well.
Extra Occupants
Next, tenants try to get away with a person living at the property who is not on the lease. Majority of people rent in areas where they know people or have friends, which is not a problem until your tenant has a friend living with him or her who you are unaware of. If someone is living at the property and isn’t on the lease, many problems could develop, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to avoid this is to make sure to include in the lease that no one else may stay in the property except those on the lease and that failure to comply will result in eviction.
Furry Friends
The third thing tenants try to get away with is keeping pets in a “no pet policy” property. Most tenants will wait weeks or even months after moving in to try and sneak a pet into the property without the consent of the landlord and without paying a pet fee. Prevent this by doing regular evaluations on your property and checking to see whether any pets have appeared.
Accidental Damages
The fourth thing is damages. Accidents happen and items break, but who ends up paying for the damages? If your lease is in order, and you perform evaluations before and after with the tenant, you won’t have to be the one who pays the price. Make sure to make a list and do a walk through the property together on the first day your tenant moves in, recording all preexisting damages. Then, the day before your tenant moves out, walk through the property with the same list that has all the preexisting damages so your tenant can’t argue that they did not create the new damages done to your property.
Avoiding Evictions
The fifth and last thing tenants try to get away with is escaping eviction. Tenants will try and argue, and occasionally even take legal action, that they are being evicted unfairly. To avoid these encounters, have a clear and concise lease that states the rules specifically and states what qualifies as terms to evict. This way, if the tenant attempts to take legal action, you have a good chance of winning your case, and if the tenant refuses to move, you can take legal action to get them out of your property and get it back on the market to rent.
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of bad tenants? With Real Property Management Wasatch, you don’t have to. We can handle everything from damages to complaints and evictions, keeping your identity safe and keeping your mind sane. Don’t stress yourself out over a problematic tenant; allow us to do the work for you. To learn more about our services, contact us online or call us at 801-418-9835 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
