Owning investment real estate can require a significant amount of up-front – and ongoing – investment, including a monthly mortgage payment, as well as maintenance and insurance costs.
So, the last thing you want is for a tenant to damage or destroy anything in or associated with the property that will cost you both time and money to fix. One way to help reduce the odds of having a “destructive” tenant is to ask certain questions before accepting anyone as a renter in your property(ies).
Some of the most important tenant screening questions include the following:
- Are you currently renting a home or apartment? (And if so, where?)
- How long have you lived in your current residence?
- Why are you moving at this time?
- How many people will be living in the home or apartment? (And will all of the occupants be able to pass a criminal background check?)
- Do you and/or anyone in the household smoke?
- Do you have a pet? (If so, what kind and how many?)
- Have you ever been evicted? (If so, why?)
- Have you ever filed for bankruptcy? (If so, when?)
- May I/we ask for a reference from your current and/or a former landlord(s)?
- Are you willing to submit to a credit check?
It is important to note that there are also certain questions that you may not ask a potential renter, such as inquiries about race, religion, gender, disability, and familial status.
While there is no surefire strategy for completely avoiding undesirable tenants, there are ways that you can delegate the time-consuming tasks of finding ones who will respect your property and its amenities. One way is to work with a professional property management team.
If you own residential rental property in Orlando and/or the Central Florida area, give CFL Property Management a call to learn more. You can reach us at (407) 429-4834 or send us an email by going to https://cflpropmanagement.com/contact-us/. We look forward to answering any questions that you have.
