Landlord Learns the Hard Way: Trust – and Verify

Print Friendly

by Wallace Gibson, CPM, GRI

A few years ago I had a really bad tenant.

She was good at first. She sold her home and wanted to down-size after the death of her husband.

Everything was good for a few years, then her daughter had to move in because of a domestic issue and that brought kids and an extra dog.

Then her tutoring business fell off as Sylvan and other professional organizations came into town.

Then, I had to evict her as the owner needed to sell the home for tax reasons. Once she had left and provided me with a forwarding address, I was curious as to who rented to her.

Even if they did not use a landlord credit check service, my eviction would show up on the court public website.

Lo and behold, her new landlord is my florist! And yes, I have a florist in addition to a nail tech, dentist and plastic surgeon!

When I went to order my annual vendor poinsettias the next November, I asked him about her. Yes, she had been late with her rent a few times and no, he did not use a landlord credit check service or check the court website. He did not know you could do that.

After struggling with her for another year, he evicted her also. When he was screening for his replacement tenant, he called me for the website for the local courts and I e-mailed the link to him.

He trusted his gut the last time, and this time he says he will trust his gut and verify.”

Wallace Gibson, CPM, GRI, is the owner/broker of Gibson Management Group, Ltd., a full-service property management company offering 45 years of professional property management services, like credit check for landlords, for investment property owners in Central Virginia–Charlottesville, Fluvanna, Louisa and Greene counties. Her firms website is http://VaHomes4Rent.com and she blogs at www.propertymanagementmaven.com.

The American Apartment Owners Association has arranged, through its tenant screening partner, to offer its members the most current and complete collection of screening reports available, including a credit check for landlords. For more, see Tenant Screening.

American Apartment Owners Association offers discounts on products and services for landlords related to your rental housing investment, including rental forms, tenant debt collection, tenant background checks, a credit check for landlords, insurance and financing. Find out more at www.joinaaoa.org.