Have you ever been through a tenant eviction process? All the people who have experienced it say one thing, “Those tenants seemed to be such nice folks.” Indeed, they did seem nice which is why you decided to rent to them in the first place. But you were wrong, which is why you then had to evict them later on.
So the next time a prospective tenant walks in through your doors and appears to be really nice, should you trust them? Will they remain nice or is this just an initial perception that is bound to go wrong later on?
Why are so many landlords wrong about bad tenants? Because these people sell themselves and do it really well. When people apply for a rental unit, all of them are selling themselves, and the worst of these have an edge. This is why you tend to pick them among the rest. These tenants behave well and appear to be friendly. They pose themselves as responsible individuals who will take care of the unit and pay timely rents. So how do you figure out if it’s all just an act?
You are doing business, and this has nothing to do with friendliness!
Do friendly people appeal to you? This doesn’t just happen to you; they appeal to everyone. You can be social with friendly people but can you do business with them? At times, yes, you may have both a personal and professional relationship with someone. But good friends may not always make great business partners, and as you search for tenants, keep this in mind. Instead of focusing on the friendliness, you should give more attention to the way in which they handle business matters. This way you will be able to pick good tenants.
We had a tenant who kept to himself, and people did not really feel like striking a conversation with him. This unfriendly tenant always paid the rent on time, took great care of the property, but there was just one problem; along with the rent, he always mentioned some repairs that had to be handled. Not a bad thing because it is part of keeping your property habitable, which every landlord must follow. Good tenants also fill out the application forms properly and have a history that has no gaps or uncertainties.
The next time you select tenants, focus more on other things rather than the fact that you like their smile and beaming personality.
