Landlord Quick-Tips

Quick-Tip #242: How to Avoid the Looky-Loo Rental Applicant

When showing an occupied unit, take a tip from realtors: prequalify your applicants before the tour.

ChecklistNext time the unit is vacant, take a video or pictures to show prospects. Better yet, stage the main rooms of the house with furnishings to make the unit inviting before you take the pictures.

Then, have your prospects fill out an application before you take them on a tour. If they balk, they probably weren’t that interested or didn’t qualify. Chances are, they will appreciate the fact that you are protecting your current tenant’s privacy. Either way, it saves you from wasting time with looky-loos.

For more on staging your unit, see The Tricks of Home Staging for Your Rental Unit.
Do you have a quick tip to share? Contact our editor at [email protected]. If we publish your tip, we will give you credit and link to your website.

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

To subscribe to our blog, click here.