Essential Questions To Ask Yourself When Screening Tenants

As a landlord, you have the rights to choose which tenant can rent your property and while there are several law siding with tenants; you also need to protect your property so when you’re deciding who to rent it out to, you need to have a set of standards you can adhere to.
A good interview session with your prospect can help you determine who will finally move in.

Their Reason/s for Moving

There can be numerous reasons for wanting to move like a better job opportunity nearby, they’re looking for a bigger space and your house fits perfectly into the picture or change of scenery which is still alright but watch out if they have ever been forced to move out or do they have disputes with former landlords which is alarming at the very least.


Their Move-In Date

Since most property owners need 30 days notice to terminate the lease, it is irresponsible for a tenant to not follow through. If your prospects ask you to let them mover right away then clearly there is a problem unless of course if their landlord is harassing them which is a different story. Being a tenant comes with responsibility because there is a written agreement between them and their landlord so if they don’t comply with it then it simply shows their lack of it.

Their Income

You need to know if the tenant can afford rent. They should be earning two and half times or more than the monthly rent to make sure they won’t skip payment. To avoid unnecessary arguments about rent in the near future, it is best to discuss this before letting them move in.
You may also want their credit checked to make sure there aren’t any outstanding debts which can also be a factor for delayed payments.
Their Security Deposit and First Month’s Rent

Ask these questions upfront to determine if they can pay on time. There is a big possibility that they will be missing rents down the line if right from the start they already asked if they can pay the security deposit one week later than move-in. You need to make it clear that they need to pay rent on time from day 1 because you will not tolerate delinquent payers.

How Many People Are Moving In?

It’s usually two for each bedroom to avoid overcrowding and abuse of the property. There are also certain municipalities and fire departments which don’t allow too many tenants in one property because “overcrowding can be a healthy and safety risk”.

Ask If They Can Provide References from Employer and Former Landlord

If they aren’t hiding anything then it should be easy to get the references you need. You need to ask the reference from the former landlord and not the current landlord because if they want the tenant to out right away, they might give good recommendations but there is a bigger chance of finding the truth from a former landlord.

Ask Them If It’s Okay That You’ll Run a Credit or Background Check on Them

There is no need for them to worry if they’re not hiding anything but if they are then they will give you plenty of reasons and won’t consent to it.

Ask If They Have Any Pets

It’s your prerogative if you don’t allow any so make sure that the tenants you’re interviewing doesn’t have any pets.

Ask If They Have Questions

To start a harmonious relationship with your future tenants, you need to ask them if they have questions and issues about the property because while you need to be satisfied with them, they also need to be satisfied with the property, after all they will be living in it.