As a landlord, finding the correct resident to rent out your property is the most vital step in leasing, and you must spend substantial time checking references and income and doing background checks. However, regardless of how much due diligence you do, you may still meet problems with residents. Here are some of the top five things residents try tricking landowners with:
Paying Rent
The first is not paying rent on time. Residents will try to take advantage of landlords and give excuses on why they have not paid their rent on time. Popular excuses range 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 crucial repairs on your property, and keep up with routine evaluations of the property to make sure everything is running smoothly.
Extra Occupants
Next, residents try to get away with a person living 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 a concern until your resident has a friend living with him or her you didn’t know about. If someone is living at the property and isn’t on the lease, numerous problems could arise, from damaged property to noise complaints. The best way to prevent this is to make sure to include in the lease that no other person may stay in the property except those on the lease and that 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 wait weeks or even months after moving in to try and sneak a pet into the property without the consent of the landlord and without paying a pet fee, if applicable. Avoid this by maintaining regular assessments 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 compensating for the damages? If your lease is in order, and you perform 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, indicating all preexisting damages. Then, the day before your resident moves out, walk through the property with the same list that has all the preexisting damages so your resident can’t argue that they did not cause the new damages to your property.
Avoiding Eviction
The fifth and final thing residents try to get away with is evading eviction. Residents will try and claim, and sometimes even take legal action, that they are being falsely evicted. To avoid these conflicts, have a clear and concise lease that lists the rules specifically and states what qualifies as grounds for eviction. This way, if the resident tries to take legal action, you have a great 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 market to rent.
In Conclusion
Don’t want to deal with the trouble of bad residents? With Real Property Management East Cobb, you won’t have to. We can handle everything from damages to complaints and evictions, safeguarding 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 East Cobb offers, contact us online or call us at 770-622-5657 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.
