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]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.[/quote]

All good advice. To this I would add to call references AND always call the former landlord.    If you want minimal complaints, rent to a single guy in his 20s with a good job but downside is that he may not notice and/or notify you about things that need fixing (like water leaks) and may need some basic instruction on maintenance.  (I once asked a prospective 25 yo guy how to clean a hardware floor and he said, "with bleach?").  And I would NEVER be a landlord in the District anymore.  There are far too many ways to break the law as a landlord in terms of screening tenants---you cannot refuse to rent to Section 8, you cannot ask about criminal history--- and it is impossible to get rid of a bad tenant in the District once they are in place.   If you buy a place in the District with a basement rental do not base your mortgage ability on the rental income because you could really get screwed if a tenant defaults on rent and you have to spend a year getting them evicted.    [/quote]

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