**Updated May 25, 2021.
As a landlord, getting the right resident to rent out your property is the most important step in leasing, and you must spend substantial time checking references and income and doing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you perform, you might still encounter issues with residents. Here are some of the top five things residents try tricking landlords with:
Paying Rent
The first is not paying rent on time. Residents will try tricking landlords and give excuses on 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 keep these excuses from happening is to keep records of rent collection so your residents can never say they paid you when they have not, always stay up to date on necessary repairs on your property, and perform regular evaluations of the property to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Extra Occupants
Next, residents try to get away with a person staying at the property which 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 had no idea about. If someone is living at the property and isn’t on the lease, many problems could arise, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to prevent this is to include in the lease that no other person 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 having pets in a “no pet policy” property. The majority of residents will wait weeks or even months after they move in to try and sneak a pet into the property without the landlord’s consent and without paying a pet fee, if applicable. Avoid this by doing regular evaluations on your property and checking 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 perform evaluations before and after with the resident, you won’t have to be the one who pays the price. Make sure to make a list and do a walk 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 apartment with the same list with all the preexisting damages so your resident can’t argue that they did not cause the new damages to your property.
Avoiding Evictions
The final thing residents try tricking landlords with is dodging eviction. Residents will try and argue, and sometimes even take legal action, that they are unfairly evicted. To prevent these conflicts, have a lease that clearly states the rules and terms of eviction. This way, if the resident tries to take legal action, you have a great chance of winning your case. Additionally, if the resident refuses to move, you can take legal action to remove them from your property and get it back on the market to rent.
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of difficult residents? With Real Property Management Optimum, you don’t have to. We can handle everything from damages to complaints and evictions, all while protecting your identity. Don’t stress yourself out over a bad resident; let us do the work for you.
To learn more about the services Real Property Management Optimum offers, contact us online or call us at 612-730-8293 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.
