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

In Harrisonburg, our management staff prefers to work with reasonable renters. Here are some of the traits we look for.

1. A renter pays the rent when due every time. This means paying on or before the first, rather than at 5 pm on the 5th.
2. A tenant has integrity. A renter does not sneak in a co-tenant or pet.
3. A tenant is fussy about cleanliness. A renter does not bring pests like rodents and bugs.
4. A tenant does not misuse the home.
5. A tenant is courteous and pleasant 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 complains when appropriate. Renters that don't report maintenance issues cost landlords money and cause issues for property managers.
8. A renter doesn't complain when it's not appropriate. This means that a renter doesn't ask to upgrade functioning systems. A renter doesn't expect more than the lease provides. A renter 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 home.
10. A tenant is looking for a lease that is as long as the owner wants to rent the property.

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