Comments on: Tenant Screening Lessons from the Trenches http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/blog/2008/02/28/tenant-screening-lessons-from-the-trenches/ Real Estate News, Landlord Help, and Apartment Information Fri, 5 Dec 2008 15:13:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Jeff Stinson http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/blog/2008/02/28/tenant-screening-lessons-from-the-trenches/#comment-4254 Jeff Stinson Wed, 14 May 2008 21:34:14 +0000 http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/blog/2008/02/28/tenant-screening-lessons-from-the-trenches/#comment-4254 Good points, here is a few things I've learned over the years: Proper screening avoids a lot of problems. I tell plenty of people that their application is denied. It saves me a lot of problems later. It sounds harsh but I can’t care about everyone’s problems. If they have to explain their situation to me I most likely will not rent to them. I'm not willing to make other peoples problems my problems by taking them on as a tenant. I find it is important to never give in to an applicant. I’m amazed how many times I get a partially filled out application. When I tell the person they need to finish filling it out and resubmit it some people get mad, others never reapply and some even resubmit another incomplete application. My application isn’t that long either it only asks for essential information yet they must think I don’t think I really want it, need it or they don’t want to tell me. Either way it must be filled out right or the answer is no. Weirdly, they have to be trained to follow the rules. Anyone that can't respect the rules is not someone that you want as a tenant anyway. One BIG red flag is if they are not able to pay the security deposit in full. If they need to pay it over time the answer is no. If their finances are that tight then they will have a hard time paying rent on a month that the car breaks down or something else happens. It is amazing how many times somebody will ask to pay the deposit over time and after I say no they say, “that’s ok I can figure it out.” If you don’t make their problems your problems they can usually figure it out themselves and if they can’t you don’t want to work with them. Some may say I’m “tough” on applicants and tenants. I say I’m only expecting people to act like an adult in the grown up world. I expect people to fill out a complete and accurate application and then I expect them to live up to the lease, just as they would expect me to live up to what I agree to on the lease. At the same time an applicant is a potential customer and needs to be treated with respect and they need to feel like (until you know differently) that their business is important to you. Being “tough” doesn’t make it hard to fill a vacancy either. I can usually get a place filled in a few weeks. Jeff Stinson Property Manager www.stonebridgerealestate.net Good points, here is a few things I’ve learned over the years:

Proper screening avoids a lot of problems. I tell plenty of people that their application is denied. It saves me a lot of problems later. It sounds harsh but I can’t care about everyone’s problems. If they have to explain their situation to me I most likely will not rent to them. I’m not willing to make other peoples problems my problems by taking them on as a tenant.
I find it is important to never give in to an applicant. I’m amazed how many times I get a partially filled out application. When I tell the person they need to finish filling it out and resubmit it some people get mad, others never reapply and some even resubmit another incomplete application. My application isn’t that long either it only asks for essential information yet they must think I don’t think I really want it, need it or they don’t want to tell me. Either way it must be filled out right or the answer is no. Weirdly, they have to be trained to follow the rules. Anyone that can’t respect the rules is not someone that you want as a tenant anyway.
One BIG red flag is if they are not able to pay the security deposit in full. If they need to pay it over time the answer is no. If their finances are that tight then they will have a hard time paying rent on a month that the car breaks down or something else happens. It is amazing how many times somebody will ask to pay the deposit over time and after I say no they say, “that’s ok I can figure it out.” If you don’t make their problems your problems they can usually figure it out themselves and if they can’t you don’t want to work with them.
Some may say I’m “tough” on applicants and tenants. I say I’m only expecting people to act like an adult in the grown up world. I expect people to fill out a complete and accurate application and then I expect them to live up to the lease, just as they would expect me to live up to what I agree to on the lease. At the same time an applicant is a potential customer and needs to be treated with respect and they need to feel like (until you know differently) that their business is important to you. Being “tough” doesn’t make it hard to fill a vacancy either. I can usually get a place filled in a few weeks.
Jeff Stinson
Property Manager
www.stonebridgerealestate.net

]]> By: Katie http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/blog/2008/02/28/tenant-screening-lessons-from-the-trenches/#comment-2812 Katie Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:08:17 +0000 http://www.american-apartment-owners-association.org/blog/2008/02/28/tenant-screening-lessons-from-the-trenches/#comment-2812 All of these recommendations are great. I really like the one that many forget to utilize which is to check out people's myspace and facebook accounts. After making this suggestion to one of our clients, they found out that one of their tenants had pictures of themselves doing drugs and other questionable activities on their myspace accounts. This certainly gave them a new perspective on tenant screening and now do those checks as well as a thorough background check (and not one of those cheesy online ones, but a REAL up to date ones that we provide) and everyone is happier! All of these recommendations are great. I really like the one that many forget to utilize which is to check out people’s myspace and facebook accounts. After making this suggestion to one of our clients, they found out that one of their tenants had pictures of themselves doing drugs and other questionable activities on their myspace accounts. This certainly gave them a new perspective on tenant screening and now do those checks as well as a thorough background check (and not one of those cheesy online ones, but a REAL up to date ones that we provide) and everyone is happier!

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