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

In Rockingham County, our management staff likes to deal with good renters. Here are some of the traits we seek out.

1. A tenant pays the rent on time every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A renter has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-renter or pet.
3. A tenant is fastidious. A tenant does not attract pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A renter does not overwork the home.
5. A tenant is courteous and nice to work with. A renter understands the difference between a property manager and a hotel concierge.
6. A tenant doesn't annoy neighbors.
7. A renter reports problems when appropriate. tenants that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A tenant doesn't gripe when it's not appropriate. This means that a tenant doesn't demand to upgrade 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 tenant doesn't know how to operate the appliance.
9. A tenant does not smoke in the rental.
10. A tenant is looking for a rental term that is as long as the property owner wants to rent the rental.

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