Vetting Tenants — How we protect the landlord’s interests.

In Clifton, our team likes to work with good tenants. Here are a few of the traits we expect.

1. A tenant pays the rent when due every month. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter is honest. A tenant does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A renter is reasonably clean. A tenant does not attract pests such as rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not destroy the property.
5. A renter is courteous and pleasant to work with. A tenant understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A renter doesn't bother neighbors.
7. A renter reports problems when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost property owners money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to replace functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A tenant doesn't complain that an appliance doesn't work when the renter doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the property.
10. A renter is looking for a lease that is as long as the landlord wants to rent the property.

So this is what we're looking for in a tenant, but how do we find renters who measure up to this ideal? Experience has taught us that difficult renters can appear as polite, nicely-dress, well educated people with jobs. We have a nose for sniffing out difficult renters.