FINDING AND SELECTING TENANTS

It is difficult to describe an ideal Tenant, however, good Tenants have -5- things in common:

#1 They pay their rent on time.
#2 They care for the property.
#3 They are stable and tend to renew their leases or rental agreements.
#4 They leave the premises in as good condition as they found it OR better.
#5 They do not cause problems with neighbors or other occupants.

Your first choice would NOT be someone with a history of credit problems, altho a negative credit report BY ITSELF may not indicate a "bad" Tenant.

Consider the success ratio of people picking marriage partners is only 50%: If more than 60% of your Tenants turn out to be good, you are far ahead of the game!!!

It is common practice and certainly not unreasonable to ask for previous landlords/addresses & phone numbers: for added protection OR convenience, you may want to consider a credit-reporting company OR Tenant Screening company to provide credit reports/character references/employment history, past & present/criminal background checks: ask your prospective Tenant to sign permission to release this information to you.

Remember to adhere to antidiscrimination laws: Civil Rights Act of 1968 & Federal Housing Act of 1988 in -7- protected categories:
#1 Race
#2 Color
#3 Religion
#4 Sex
#5 National origin
#6 Family status
#7 Physical or mental disabilities*

· I suggest you ask for and receive the names of any/all agencies/caseworkers phone numbers & addresses when reviewing rental applications: verify income and any additional written agreements/requirements necessary: should an advocate be indicated, insist that your prospective Tenant provide someone.*

· REFERENCES: The Landlords Handbook/2nd Edition by Daniel Goodwin & Richard Rusdorf: (last paragraph: Louise A. Crossett)