7 Qualities of an Ideal Tenant According to Landlords

Wouldn’t it be nice if you can create an ad in the platform of your choice that read a little something like this:

“I am a nice landlord who is looking for a great tenant who wants to live on my property for a very long time, give no fuss and who will pay their rent on time, every time.”

Then, magically, every potential tenant who called you fit this exact criteria? That would be very nice, wouldn’t it? Well, it may not be as easy as just placing an ad with this verbiage to catch the ideal tenant, but we were able to come up with a list of 7 qualities of an idea tenant according to real landlords.

Employment

Most landlords look at stability at their workplace. This quality is among the top priorities of landlords when asked what makes a good tenant. I’m almost sure all landlords want to make sure their tenant has a job to be able to pay for their rent. Landlords usually check for length of employment and position they are currently holding.

Income

The next quality landlords prioritise to finding a good, high quality tenant is their income. Almost all landlords make sure that the asking rent isn’t above 30% of the tenant’s monthly income. Following this rule usually yields good tenants who pay rent on time.

Punctuality

A tenant who can  show they are punctual is a very good quality to look for. This ensures your rent will be paid on time and it also shows they are responsible adults. You can also rely on them to look after your property and make scheduled maintenance a breeze. How can you reassure that your tenant will be punctual?

A good indicator is checking their credit report. Do they pay their bills on time? Their credit card? Gas? Electricity? You will get a very good idea by checking their punctuality during your screening process.

Clean Record

While conducting your screening process, you should pay attention to your potential tenant’s criminal background check. While it is considered discrimination to reject an applicant on this sole purpose, you may want to stay clear of someone who has a shady background. A lease, afterall, is a legal document that can be used in court as evidence.It is a contract of mutual respect where you, the landlord, promise to keep the premises in habitable conditions and the tenant agrees to keep the premises this way and pay their rent on time.

Can hold up their end of the bargain

Another quality landlords look for is for the ability to comply with the lease they sign. A warning sign of them not being able to accomplish this is if they have an eviction on record.

A lease is a contract that both the landlord and the tenant are legally obligated to uphold. If they’ve been evicted in the past, what will stop them from complying with your lease? Having a deep conversation with your tenant on their past circumstances, if any, can help you make a decision to rent to them.

Communication

A good quality landlords look for in tenants is the ability to communicate. Landlords have said that during the screening procedure, a good question to ask is how the tenant has dealt with repair issues or communicating general concerns about the rental property. This will give you a good idea about their communication skills which will usually lead to how they will communicate with you about your property.

It’s also important to get previous landlord references. This can also give you an insight on their communication levels. Sometimes you may find that the tenant communicates too much, oftentimes requesting things that are out of the landlords’ control. It’s important to find a balance of responsible communication levels.

Honesty

Landlords also value honesty. Tenants who tell you the truth up front no matter the situation can often lead to great relationships. If you find out your potential tenant has lied about anything during the screening process, this should be a huge red flag. This is why screening and verifying references and the information provided by the tenant is so important.

Finding good quality tenants is an important part of your business. Not taking the proper cautions and time to find them can result in renting to a bad tenant which only leads to drained resources and headaches. We hope these 7 qualities of an ideal tenant according to other landlords can help you figure out what to look for while searching for that next star tenant.