As a landlord, finding the correct resident to rent out your property is the most vital step in leasing, and you must spend significant time examining references and income and performing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you do, you may still face issues with residents. Here are some of the top five things residents try tricking landowners with:
Paying Rent
The first is not paying rent on time. Residents will attempt to take advantage of landlords and come up with excuses on why they have not timely paid their rent. Popular excuses vary from “I’m waiting for my paycheck from work to come in” to “You haven’t repaired damages in the house, so I shouldn’t have to pay rent until they are fixed.” The best way to prevent these excuses is to maintain records of rent collection so your residents can never claim they paid you when they have not, always stay up to date on necessary repairs on your property, and keep up with consistent evaluations of the property to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Extra Occupants
Next, residents try to get away with a person staying at the property who is not on the lease. A lot of people rent in areas where they know people or have friends, which is not a problem until your resident has a friend living with him or her who you are unaware of. If someone is living at the property and isn’t on the lease, various problems could arise, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to avoid this is to make sure to include in the lease that no one else may live in the property except those on the lease and that failure to comply will lead to an eviction.
Furry Friends
The third thing residents try to get away with is having pets in a “no pet policy” property. Many residents will wait weeks or even months after they move in to try and sneak a pet into the property without the consent of the landlord and without paying a pet fee, if applicable. Avoid this by performing regular evaluations on your property and checking to see if any pets have appeared.
Accidental Damages
The fourth thing is damages. Accidents happen and items break, but who ends up compensating for the damages? If your lease is in order, and you perform evaluations before and after with the resident, you won’t have to be the one who pays the price. Make certain to make a list and take a walk through the property together on the first day your resident moves in, noting all preexisting damages. Then, the day before your resident moves out, walk through the apartment with the same list with all the preexisting damages so your resident can’t claim that they did not create the new damages done to your property.
Avoiding Evictions
The fifth and final thing residents try to get away with is evading eviction. Residents will try and argue, and occasionally even take legal action, that they are being evicted unfairly. To avoid these conflicts, have a clear and concise lease that lists the rules specifically and states what qualifies as terms for eviction. This way, if the resident tries to take legal action, you have a great chance of winning your case, and if the resident refuses to move, you can take legal action to get them out of your property and get it back on the rental property market.
In Conclusion
Don’t want to deal with the trouble of bad residents? With Real Property Management Eclipse, you won’t have to. We can manage everything from damages to complaints and evictions, keeping your identity safe and keeping your mind sane. Don’t stress yourself out over a bad resident; let us do the work for you.
To find out more about the services Real Property Management Eclipse offers, contact us online or call us at 425-209-0252 today.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
