You have a home, made up of hard-earned money and endless efforts. Would you ever want to let it go into the wrong hands, even for some time? No, isn’t it!
Renting your favorite dwelling space needs a lot of homework to get a good resident. Start with a pen, paper, and remember specific things to keep in mind before getting tenants.
Top befitting questions while screening your tenants are:
1. How long have you lived in your previous apartment?
The number of years your would-be tenant has lived in the previous home works as the credibility factor. Just like your bank’s ‘credit score’, this criterion functions similarly.
The longer tenor he or she has stayed in a particular home shows his or her authenticity. Thus, this question has all the reasons to top your tenant-screening chart.
Also, you can take down his or her previous rental details to gather some vital information.
2. At what time do you prefer to shift in the home?
A question that not only seconds the charts but also matters a lot is when your tenant wants to shift to your home. It’s essential to ask his or her date of dwelling in your residence for clarity of both the parties.
Moreover, you may have an immediate space vacant, and your tenant may fix his or her date of residing later. For sealing the deal with the perfect one, both your requirements must match.
Also, there may be specific circumstances where the tenant wants to shift within a week, and you may not have an immediate offering. So, this question is a must-have in your screening list for a good deal.
3. Do you have pets?
Another spot-on question ranking the list for your tenant’s screening process is knowledge of their fur friends. It is necessary to know on a prior basis whether they have any fur babies or not so that you can prepare your house accordingly.
If your tenant is bringing along his little furry friend, you may need to renovate the house accordingly. You also may need to charge a small pet fee, as you have to include pet fleas control and treatments in home maintenance.
Moreover, your tenants may love pets while you may not accept them. It’s always better to have such discussions in the earlier phase of the screening process. Also, it saves time and effort later on.
4. Why do you wish to move?
As a landlord, you must understand the motive of your tenant’s immediate home shifting. It may also help you to find out some past conflicts. These factors may be responsible for your prospective tenant’s wish to leave my previous home.
With such simple, yet useful conversations, you can get a glimpse of your tenant’s beliefs, ideologies, and ethics. A complete understanding of the tenant’s psychology is also helpful for building healthy relationships.
Studies have shown that awareness about the psychological profiles of tenants help you to understand possible shortcomings. With questions regarding the motive of movement, you can sneak into their mind. Also, you can get a picture of their personality too!
5. Have you ever faced a sudden eviction?
As discussed earlier, a comprehensive understanding of your tenant’s mind helps in multiple ways. Some questions on eviction from home also throw light on their behavior with previous landlords.
Although this question may appear dicey and can be straightforward to renters, it’s a must-have. Facing evictions from home can have several reasons along, such as rude attitude, delayed payments or criminal activities, etc.
With this straight and on-point question, you can check your prospective tenant’s behavior. If he or she stumbles, fidgets hand or becomes anxious, run a note in mind to cut out their name off your list.
6. Are you okay with renter’s insurance and are you aware of deductibles?
Just like a landlord’s insurance protects the owner’s peace, renter’s insurance safeguards tenants’ stay in the home. Both parties should have their share of insurances for future benefits and a seamless process of livelihood. Thus, you must end with a query about renter’s insurance as it provides coverage against their losses.
If your tenant is unaware of the process, you should also enlighten him or her about the terms and renters insurance deductible. Insurance deductibles are the amount that gets deducted from the renter’s insurance during payouts of any future claims. The renter can choose their desired insurance policy and amount of deductible. You should also discuss what is net effective rent for your property as this will have an impact on the tenant.
A small talk regarding such terms on the go helps both of you to avoid future hassles. Also, it reduces your tenant’s risk if they are renting a property for the first time!
A Small Talk Before You Leave
Along with such questions also take a note of his or her overall income standards. Take a few references to consider later in the future. Remember not to avoid asking the above questions for overcoming further hindrances. Play smart!