As a landlord, finding the ideal resident to rent out your property is the most vital step in leasing, and you need to spend significant time checking references and income and performing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you do, you can still meet 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 try to take advantage of landlords and give excuses for why they have not paid their rent on time. Popular excuses range 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 avoid these excuses is to keep rent collection records so your residents can never claim they paid you when they have not, always stay up to date on essential repairs on your property, and keep up with regular evaluations of the property to make sure everything is running well.
Extra Occupants
Up next, residents try to get away with a person staying at the property who is not on the lease. Most 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, numerous problems could arise, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to keep this from happening 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 result in eviction.
Furry Friends
The third thing residents try to get away with is keeping pets in a “no pet policy” property. Most residents will wait weeks or even months after they move in to try and sneak a pet into the property with no consent from the landlord and without paying a pet fee, if applicable. Prevent this by maintaining regular evaluations on your property and checking to see whether any pets have appeared.
Accidental Damages
The fourth thing is damages. Accidents happen, and items break, but who pays for the damages? If your lease is in order, and you do evaluations before and after with the resident, you won’t have to be the one who pays the price. Make a list and do a walkthrough of the property together on the first day your resident moves in, recording all preexisting damages. Then, the day before your resident moves out, walk through the property with the same list that has all the preexisting damages so your resident can’t argue that they did not cause the new damages to your property.
Avoiding Evictions
The fifth and final thing residents try to get away with is evading eviction. Residents will try and argue, sometimes even take legal action, that they are being falsely evicted. To avoid these encounters, have a clear and concise lease that states the rules specifically and states what qualifies as terms to evict. This way, if the resident attempts to take legal action, you have a good chance of winning your case, and if the resident refuses to move, you can take legal action to get them off your property and get it back on the market to rent.
In Conclusion
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of problematic residents? With Real Property Management Fairmate, you don’t have to. We can handle everything from damages to complaints and evictions, keeping your identity secure and your mind sane. Don’t stress yourself out over a lousy resident; let us do the work for you.
To learn more about the services Real Property Management Fairmate offers, contact us online or call us at 626-691-9749 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.
