As a landlord, getting the right resident to rent out your property is the most significant step in leasing, and you must spend substantial time checking references and income and executing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you do, you may still encounter issues with residents. Here are five common things that residents try to get away with.
Paying Rent
The first is not paying rent on time. Residents will try to exploit landlords and come up with excuses on why they have not paid their rent on time. Common excuses vary 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 avoid these excuses 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 needed repairs on your property, and keep up with regular evaluations of the property to ensure everything is running smoothly.
Extra Occupants
Up next, residents try to get away with a person staying at the property who is not on the lease. A lot of people rent in areas where they know people or have friends, which is not an issue until your resident has a friend living with him or her you have no idea about. If someone is living at the property and isn’t on the lease, many complications could arise, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to keep this from happening is to make sure to include in the lease that no other person may live in the property except those on the lease and failure to comply will lead to eviction.
Furry Friends
The third thing residents try to get away with is having pets in a “no pet policy” property. Most residents will wait weeks or even months after they move in to try sneaking in a pet into the property without the consent of the landlord 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 ends up shouldering the damages? If your lease is in order, and you do 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 through the property together on the first day your resident moves in, noting all preexisting damages. Then, the day before your resident moves out, walk through the apartment with the same list that has all the preexisting damages so your resident can’t claim that they did not create the new damages done to your property.
Avoiding Eviction
The fifth and final thing residents try to get away with is evading eviction. Residents will try and argue, and occasionally even take legal action, that they are being evicted unfairly. To avoid these encounters, have a clear and concise lease that states the rules specifically and states the grounds for eviction. This way, if the resident tries to take legal action, you have a good chance of winning your case, and if the resident refuses to move, you can take legal action to get them out of your property and get it back on the rental property market.
In Conclusion
Don’t want to deal with the hassle of problematic residents? As your rental company in Temple TX, you don’t have to. We can handle everything from damages to complaints and evictions, guarding your identity and keeping your mind sane. Don’t stress yourself out over a bad resident; let us do the work for you.
To learn more about the services that Real Property Management Talent offers, contact us online or call us at 254-4010-0400 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.
