Purchasing or developing a real estate property may cost you lots of cash which may go to six figures and beyond. Probably, you purchased it or even inherited it but have spent lots of money to get the property rent ready. On renting such an investment, all you need is to enjoy the returns of your sweat. Landlord! Tenants can really cause you nightmares and never be in a hurry to hand the keys to them. Below are some three questions that you must always ask your tenants.
Before we go to the questions though, since the pre-tenants can really try to interfere with information, the best way of asking the questions is through running background checks to get accurate information.
What’s your employment history?
As a landlord, you need to know the current employment status of your applicant. You want to hand over the keys of your investment to a tenant who has a stable source of income. You also want a tenant who will occupy your premises for an extended period of time. Conducting background checks costs you some money and that’s why you don’t want a tenant who has a history of working for short periods in different towns or jobs.
A person who gets short contracts and goes for a couple of months before getting another job may have difficulties paying rent at some point during their stay in your property. Knowing the salary that the prospective tenant gets can also help you knows whether they are capable of paying you or not.
What about pets?
A great deal of landlords won’t wish to rent out their property to tenants who keep pets. Are you one of such landlords? If yes, this is one question that you can easily get by asking a direct question to a prospective tenant. Alternatively, on running the screening checks by the company of your choice, the former landlord can be asked if the tenant used to keep pets or not. You really want to know prior, whether you will have an issue with his pets before he can move in. explain your pet policy to the prospect thus making them understand your stand on the subject.
What is their rental history?
This is one of the most important information you need. It is a kind of information that you can never rely on the tenant themselves to tell you the truth. Running a background check using the most appropriate company or software is the only reliable way of getting a reliable answer to this question. You really wish to know the length of time they have been renting for their present landlord so that you can know the kind of duration they usually take in a rental property. You also need to know if they have ever been evicted in the past or not.