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

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Make sure the lease specifies that drain clogs and garbage disposal jams are paid by the tenant (because they are always caused by the tenant).

Retire the tenant to keep the yard maintained, or to allow you to send a landscaper regularly.

Avoid roommates if you can -- they will become a never-ending cycle of chasing rent payments, people cycling through the house and absolutely zero cleaning.

Avoid tenants whose parents come with them to see the place. You are legally allowed to refuse to rent to tenants who need mommy and daddy to cosign to qualify.

I agree with not renting to lawyers -- they will send back any standard lease form marked up with ridiculous changes. But they are hard to avoid in DC.

[b]Make regular, announced in advance visits to the place to change air filters, check the furnace, whatever. [/b]You need to see inside more than once a year. I once visited and found two twin mattresses laid out on the living room floor, along with personal effects piled up on the window sills. The two roommates who rented the place (a 2BR/2BA TH) had decided to lower their costs by adding two more roommates. That lasted exactly a day.

[/quote]
I don't know where OP's property is.
Virginia law requires landlords to give at least 72 hours notice for routine maintenance.     I'd be surprised if any state allows less than 24 hours, except in the case of an emergency (and changing an air filter is not an emergency.)
Tenants have the right to privacy.  [/quote]

That's why I said "announced visits" -- whatever notice the lease/jurisdiction requires, give it and go there. Three days is plenty of time to straighten up, but not enough time to evict the extra two unauthorized roommates or the illegal cat.[/quote]
Not exactly. In college my roommate and I were allowed 2 pets but we ended up finding a street dog and bringing him home. Days when the landlord would come he’d go to a friends house or the groomer for the day. Nobody ever knew. We even got back our pet deposit. [/quote]

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