Perth residential tenants who pay their rent on time, and look after your valuable investment property are priceless. Wouldn't you agree?

Perth residential tenants who pay their rent on time, and look after your valuable investment property are priceless. Wouldn't you agree?

But you might have to sift through a lot of frogs before you find the right match. That is why it is a great idea to have rigorous screening techniques in place, and look out for these tenant red flags to reduce the risk of choosing a bad tenant. 

Here are the biggest red flags we have seen here at Thought Leaders Real Estate that often have resulted in bad tenants. 

The tenant doesn’t have enough income to support the outgoings 

An application process requires applicants to provide proof of income, through payslips.. All Perth property managers ask for proof of income, because why would you lease to someone who can’t afford the home right? A potential tenant needs to be able to afford rent every week, not just the first week they move in. 

They are currently unemployed or have lost their job 

It is easy to fall for every sad story about an applicant's bad  luck, and failed job applications. At the end of the day, if they haven’t got a job, they can’t pay rent, period. Don’t lease to them.

They have a notably bad credit score

A bad credit score should send up a red flag for two reasons. One, it indicates that this person has defaulted on credit card, loan or rent payments in the past. Two, it suggests they’re a risky prospect for future rent payments.

They have a prior eviction 

If a red flag had a name, it would be prior eviction! This has to be the biggest tenant red flags to look out for! An eviction is the biggest renter misdemeanour there is. You  don’t get evicted unless it was for something really serious, like non-payment of rent, drugs or damage to property. 

They have a criminal record

Someone who has a criminal record likes to live outside the law, and doesn't have a track record of following the rules. Although people can be arrested and released later, being convicted of a crime and having it on your record is a different story. 

They are quite obviously high maintenance

 

If a potential tenant is difficult to deal with or demanding from the get-go,, it doesn’t really reflect well on them being a good tenant. They’re likely to try and make you bend to their will in every issue that arises, from rent, to maintenance issues. Keep an eye for this characteristic. 

Are you to place your property on lease? Then get in touch. You can browse our listings too, prior to getting in touch. If you want to place your property on the market, we can help you manage your property, getting you the best value for your home. We invite you to get in touch with us promptly, our team is here to support you through your property journey. We also explore how to attract good tenants in this recent article.