Spot the bad tenant.

Warning signs of a bad tenant

A highly experienced landlord will develop a special skill for detecting potentially 'bad tenants'.

We can not obviously discriminate and judge unfairly, however, there are some very good indications that you may well need to be aware of.

We have got a list here for you - we hope you find it helpful:

1. The references do not stack up and have inconsistencies
2. The previous Landlord gives a 'glowing' review. This could be bad as they may be trying to just get rid of the tenant. Try to speak to more than one previous Landlord.
3. Once they're in the property, they do not answer their mobile phone.
4. They change their mobile number and do not inform you.
5. They ignore communication attempts.
6. You constantly have to chase the rent as it is never paid on time.
7. There are many excuses for many 'occurrences'
8. They want to pay six months rent, in advance, with cash
9. They seem to good to be true

There are also 6 different kinds of tenants. Some are easier to spot than others.

• The socialite - this is the tenant that likes to party - very difficult to spot
  
• The professional bad tenant - this is the tenant that after missing a couple of payments, decides to 'up and leave' in the middle of the night, before they can be served papers.
• The late payers - always having an excuse; their rent is always late. There are two options here - end the agreement at the appropriate time or add late fee's.
• Animal lovers - these are the ones that do not mention the animal. The Landlord will more often than not find out.
• The extended - rare, but after a time, this tenant will let his friends and family move in. More cars come and go and the wear and tear of the house speeds up.
• The bureaucrats -  the tenant that thinks they know the law, or at least they think they know it enough to cause problems for the landlord. These can cost in time and money.

These can be avoided but it takes time and effort. You need to make sure they match what they have on paper.

Key point - look at their current living space - your house will soon end up looking like that.

We hope this has been helpful and enjoyable.

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For more information please see our site www.direct2landlord.co.uk