how to be a successful landlord (i.e. right way to choose tenant and avoid problems)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of funny comments on this thread. It's not rocket science, but there is a lot to being a good landlord.
Looking for a tenant can be a big time suck. Here is what I do:
Post ads on Facebook Marketplace and Zillow
Immediately screen with the following questions- How many people? When do you want to move? Credit score? Income? Pets? Smoke?
Check social media/facebook for unhinged type behavior.
Even though I would likely not rent to lawyers or military, there is a lot more to reducing risk. You really need to be a good judge of character and go with your gut feeling. Are they professional in their communication with you? Do they seem trustworthy or are they a gasbag? Is their life full of personal failures? Do they have questions for you, the landlord? A good tenant will typically expect the landlord to be responsive and professional. Only show the property to the best prospects. I keep the price of my rental a little under market value so I can be somewhat picky. Remember, this is a business and not some type of social justice project or charity.

What is wrong with layers or military?
My lawyer tenants have been great with good income and credit scores.

Shady landlords don't want lawyers because they will win in court and know their rights as renters.

I have rented to lawyers in the past and never had issues.

No. Lawyers know how to skirt the law. I rented to one with a shady driving record once and he figured out how to indicate to the DMV that he was the primary driver of MY car. He also trashed the place and took off so I couldn’t sue him for damages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lots of funny comments on this thread. It's not rocket science, but there is a lot to being a good landlord.
Looking for a tenant can be a big time suck. Here is what I do:
Post ads on Facebook Marketplace and Zillow
Immediately screen with the following questions- How many people? When do you want to move? Credit score? Income? Pets? Smoke?
Check social media/facebook for unhinged type behavior.
Even though I would likely not rent to lawyers or military, there is a lot more to reducing risk. You really need to be a good judge of character and go with your gut feeling. Are they professional in their communication with you? Do they seem trustworthy or are they a gasbag? Is their life full of personal failures? Do they have questions for you, the landlord? A good tenant will typically expect the landlord to be responsive and professional. Only show the property to the best prospects. I keep the price of my rental a little under market value so I can be somewhat picky. Remember, this is a business and not some type of social justice project or charity.

What is wrong with layers or military?
My lawyer tenants have been great with good income and credit scores.

Military is the best. Worst case is they have to break the lease early with orders. Best case, they treat your rental like a home and do an amazing job with gardening- we had a family rent for three years and the wife wanted to know if she could rip out our shrubs and garden, we said year and when they left the house had the nicest yard on street. You don't have to worry about them not paying and there is a good change they're handy enough to not bother you with minor repairs. We're lucky enough that our last few tenants have been recommended by the exiting tenant

I rented to military once and they were the worst tenants I ever had. Did 20k of damages and threatened to sue me for their own damages using a military lawyer. I didn’t realize that was a work benefit until I told them to get out. Never again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tenant selection is critical. Read up on horror stories by landlords. The reality is that a tenant can stop paying rent, trash the house, and force you to go through a months-long eviction process just to remove them. You can’t afford to make a bad decision.

Do extensive background investigation on tenants and if you have a bad feeling about someone, trust your gut. Never give a reason for rejecting someone.

Try to find tenants via word of mouth or other non-public means. For instance, every university has visiting professors each year. If you have a contact at one, tell them you’re renting a house and see if they can find someone in need.

These people are known as professional tenants by experienced property managers. They figure out how to game the system. Even if the LL wins, you end up with months of lost income and property damage if you are tricked by one of these fools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AC, dishwasher, washer and dryer are provided for the convenience of tenant and not warranted. If they break the tenants need to know this isn’t going to be an immediate fix and isn’t grounds for withholding rent.

Plumbing and drains = property is provided with functioning unobstructed waste lines. The tenant is responsible to notify landlord of problems and may be responsible for fees associated with backups.

If you rent an apartment with advertised working AC, dishwasher, and washer and dryer, with the accompanying level of rent, you better believe they need to be fixed in a timely manner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AC, dishwasher, washer and dryer are provided for the convenience of tenant and not warranted. If they break the tenants need to know this isn’t going to be an immediate fix and isn’t grounds for withholding rent.

Plumbing and drains = property is provided with functioning unobstructed waste lines. The tenant is responsible to notify landlord of problems and may be responsible for fees associated with backups.

If you rent an apartment with advertised working AC, dishwasher, and washer and dryer, with the accompanying level of rent, you better believe they need to be fixed in a timely manner.

Yes, and in DC a judge would side with the tenant on this. This PP is skirting slumlord territory.