Have
you ever wondered why one landlord is able to have tenants that live in
his properties for many years while another one just cannot keep them
for more than three months?
One of the biggest factors
for a harmonious landlord-tenant relationship is finding a perfect
match, and finding a perfect match takes a thorough screening process.
Landlords are aware that quality tenants are the key to long-term
profitability.
Quality tenants are those who are able
to pay rent on time, keep the property in top notch condition, use the
property for the intended purpose and live peacefully with their
neighbours. Many landlords find themselves stuck with tenants they let
into their properties without enough screening.
Godfrey
Bbale, a landlord, says his exacting standards and thorough screening
of tenants has helped him get and retain quality for as long as 10 years
or more.
Tenancy history
“Every landlord screens tenants differently. The intensity usually depends on the value they place on their property. Before the tenant moves into my properties, I make sure I meet their current landlord and find out what kind of person in order to rule out any malicious information they might want to give about the tenant.
“Every landlord screens tenants differently. The intensity usually depends on the value they place on their property. Before the tenant moves into my properties, I make sure I meet their current landlord and find out what kind of person in order to rule out any malicious information they might want to give about the tenant.
So, when I get to talk
to the tenant, I ask them why they are moving, how often they were late
paying and how many times they were involved in misunderstandings with
their neighbours. Answers to these questions will help me form a
character outline of the individual,” he reveals.
Time
Another test Bbale uses to screen his tenants whether they endevour to meet him on the time agreed upon. “From my experience, 80 per cent never make it on time. Half of them have the courtesy of calling to say they are running late and the other half never do. If they are more than 10 minutes late from when they said they would be arriving, I leave.
Another test Bbale uses to screen his tenants whether they endevour to meet him on the time agreed upon. “From my experience, 80 per cent never make it on time. Half of them have the courtesy of calling to say they are running late and the other half never do. If they are more than 10 minutes late from when they said they would be arriving, I leave.
I know most of us have
come to terms with what we call “Ugandan time” but to me, it is an
indicator that they never take anything seriously, if they cannot show
up on time, chances are they will not be able to pay their rent on time
either,” he remarks.
Source of income
Nicholas Ssebagala, another landlord, urges landlords to take time to find out the person they are letting on their properties before they do.
Nicholas Ssebagala, another landlord, urges landlords to take time to find out the person they are letting on their properties before they do.
“One
important verification is their source of income. I need to know that
they have a stable source of income whether from their job or business.
Verification
When I doubt the tenant’s word, I often request for their bank statements as well,” he reveals.
Another method of screening Ssebagala uses is giving the tenant an application form and asking them to fill it out before signing the tenant agreement.
When I doubt the tenant’s word, I often request for their bank statements as well,” he reveals.
Another method of screening Ssebagala uses is giving the tenant an application form and asking them to fill it out before signing the tenant agreement.
“Some
people object to the application forms claiming the questions are
unnecessary, I have found out that those who complain most usually have
something to hide and this is a disqualification for me. If you allow
them to ignore it, then you lose important information for tenant
decisions,” remarks Ssebagala.
However, it is also important to assure the tenant that the information they share with you will be well kept and protected.
If
you do not have the time and energy to deal with the screening process,
it is advisable to engage a professional, experienced property manager
to do it for you.
This will save you from the
irritation of dealing with unserious tenants and will prevent landlords
from making common mistakes such as using discriminatory language and
failing to protect the information given.
Use the internet and social media
Screening
prospective tenants is probably the single most important thing a
Landlord or property manager can do. In today’s technological world,
information is abundant and ready for users to get at.
An
individual can learn an enormous amount of things about someone simply
by doing a simple “Google” search. Business owners use the Internet to
search employee’s activities. Buyers and sellers research their real
estate agents.
Even tenants
conduct online research of their landlord or property manager. Using the
Internet and social media venues can provide valuable information
that’s not only relevant, but essential to the applicant screening
process.
For example, an applicant may indicate they
have resided in a particular town or location for the past several
years, but their Facebook page or Google+ page suggests otherwise. It
could indicate that potentially they have misled or was untruthful when
answering questions your application. It could also indicate they could
be hiding an adverse rental history and may be supplying you with
fictitious prior landlord references.
There are,
however, major potential problems with using the Internet or social
media venues as screening tools - you will come upon information that is
not only untrue, but if true, should have no bearing on your decision
as to whether to rent to this person. (Source: landlord.com)
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