Characteristics of a great tenant

ATLANTA - You’ve found the perfect apartment or rental house - it’s in the right school district and you can just afford the rent - and it’s got everything you need, all for a fair rent! However, you suspect there are going to be multiple applicants for this property - it’s almost too good. So the questions becomes this:

What is your prospective landlord looking for in his next tenant, and how can you make sure it’s YOU?  

Here with the answers is Real Estate Expert John Adams!

Is there a secret to making yourself more attractive as a tenant?

A:  Yes, there is. In fact, there are five secrets, and the more you know about them, the more likely you are to be the successful applicant: Let’s do a countdown from 5 to 1:

5.  CLEANLINESS & DEPORTMENT

How do you present yourself?  Are you clean cut and straight forward, or do you look like a bum who just crawled out of the gutter?  These things matter to a landlord because he believes the way you care for yourself is the way you will care for his property.

4.  LIFE STABILITY

Tell me about your life, and you tell me about you.  If you are a rolling stone, I can’t rent to you.  Prove to me that your life has been stable  in the past, and I will assume it will be stable in the future.

3.  CREDIT SCORE / INCOME

This is the financial part and it speaks for itself.  If you have not met your financial obligations in the past, it is unlikely that you will do so in the future.  Be prepared to explain any irregularities

2.  RESPONSIBILITY & RESPECT

How have you demonstrated responsibility in your life?  What are you blaming on others?  And how have you shown respect for me and my property?  In fact, do you demonstrate respect for YOURSELF?  If not, we are not a match.  

1.  LIKELY LENGTH of RENTAL

IF you give me any indication, directly or otherwise, that you might make a move in a year or less, you are TOAST.  I am looking for stable residents who will stay with me two, three or even four years. Know that turnover is a huge expense to me, and I want to avoid it anyway I can.

The BOTTOM LINE:  

Landlords want a tenant who will pay the rent on time and take care of the property as it they were the owner.  In addition, remember that turnover is a huge cost to the landlord, and if you can help them avoid it, you become more desirable.