Premier Real Estate

Do you know what else will make your landlord happy? If you just make the time to take care of the property you are renting. This includes your living space and your yard space. Like, if you have dogs, pick up some poo every now and then. And if you have hardwood floors, give them the respect they deserve. Just do what you can to keep from speeding up the natural wear and tear of your place.

And if something needs to be fixed, let your landlord know. Regardless of whether or not he makes it seem like you are bothering him, he will have reason to thank you later: if you neglected to tell him that your toilet keeps running or the pipes leak, it would end up costing him more in the long run.

If you are used to renting houses or apartments, then you know the score. Sometimes you get a landlord who seems like an angel sent to Earth. Sometimes you get a landlord who seems like … something else sent to earth. While it is tempting to make life hell for those bad landlords, it will be endlessly better for you if you strive to be an ideal tenant for every type of landlord. Remember, killing them with kindness is always more beneficial.

Besides, it does not take a lot to please your landlord by being a good tenant. The ways are simple. An example? Just paying your rent on time each month is a great start. You have to remember that, nice or not, your landlord is just a person and, like you and me, he has bills to pay every month — and could be relying on the rent check to do that.

Now that we have talked about screening any potential tenants, there quite a few other things that you need to make sure that you are doing when you are looking to rent to people.  Firstly, the screening is a good thing but you also need to make sure that you are checking their credit.

That way, you know not only that they have good credit but that they pay their bills on time.  Paying their bills on time is a sign that you, as a landlord will get your rent on time and that is something that you want.  Next, you want to make sure that they fill out an application.

What an application will do is provide you with rental history and you always want to make sure that you are calling any previous landlords, as they can tell you how the tenants were.

When you are a landlord, you are taking a huge risk.  Not only are you letting people you do not truly know into your home, but you are letting them live there without any real supervision.  Well, I can tell you for sure that there a lot of people out there that would not be good tenants … and those are the people you do not want to rent too.

So how do you find the great tenants and what are the steps that you should be taking?  Well, that is what we are going to talk about in the next couple blogs just so that you can get a real feel of the tenants that you could be getting into your rental properties.

One thing you need to make sure that you are doing is that you are screening any potential renters, as that is how you are going to know if they would be a good fit.

The reason you want to become familiar with all of this information is because of the many responsibilities you as the landlord will have for your property.

It is your job to keep everything in good working order. If there is an electrical issue, you need to take care of that. Plumbing, appliances, the heat and the air conditioning — it will be up to you to keep all of this working the way it is supposed to work. And if at any time your tenants come to you for prepares, tackle the problem as soon as possible.

Safety and security are largely your responsibilities as well, so make sure your tenants are safe while living on your property.

Compared with what it takes to be a good landlord, becoming a landlord is actually a piece of cake. You have to consider this: if you get a reputation as a poor landlord, what tenant is going to want to rent from you?

The first way to be a good landlord is actually by protecting yourself. As you have read, it is important for you to understand all of your rights as a landlord, as well as the responsibilities you will have.

It will serve you very well to contact your local rental housing authority. Doing so will allow you to completely understand what legal rights you have as a landlord, as well as what you are responsible for concerning your tenants and your property. Complying with the state laws as well as your local laws is extremely important. You will also want to be aware of health codes, building codes, housing codes, and so on.