Good tenant - how did you get yours?

VfM4meplse

Good long-term tenants are worth their weight in gold!

I know there are no hard-and-fast rules to finding one, realistically will leave the background checks to the professionals - but I'm interested in finding out how you managed to get good tenants for your property. I can't rely on [STRIKE]gut-feel[/STRIKE] luck alone, so your experiences (good and bad) are welcome.

nearlynomadic

If you want long term tenants, consider taking people that some other landlords won't touch due to their own blanket rules, such as
- people with well behaved pets (from experience, renting with a dog is a nightmare even when the dog is quiet and non-destructive)
- on benefits e.g. due to disability
Those people will have fewer options when it comes to moving on to a new place, and will tend to stay longer because other options aren't exactly bountiful because landlords apply blanket rules and throw the baby out with the bathwater. Get references from previous landlords about them. People with school aged children will also tend to want to stay longer for the sake of stability for the kids and their schooling.

I'm sure there's a certain element of luck of the draw, however. Often tenants move out for entirely legitimate reasons such as relationship breakdown or moving to another city for work.

kazwookie

Mine found me!

I put word out locally, about the rental, one day while working there, up comes this man introduces himself, askes to look around, he seems ok, took all his details etc, he left.
The bloke next doors comes up to me, and says see you know (x) , yes I go why to you want to know? explained he is looking at the rental, bloke next doors says he is fine, you won't go wrong, known him for years, he also knows so and so, so good enough for me.
I ring up (x) and offer him it there and then, he has paid on time for the last 3 years, causes me no issues what so ever.

Cakeguts

Very good letting agents

ognum

Cakeguts wrote: »

Very good letting agents

I would agree with this but I would add that getting good tenants is a two way process and the best way is to be a good landlord.

Computer_Beginner

I know a few landlords and I think it takes a certain type of person to be successful at it.

I've seen it work where there is some kind of two way relationship between landlord and tenant, that encourages both parties to work together well.
For example, a garage owner who lets a flat to one of his employees or the son of a good customer etc. There needs to be a reason for the tenant not to upset his landlord and vice versa. It needs to be a genuine business type relationship.

Everyone I know who just works in an office and blindly becomes a landlord, without really having any kind of business experience has run into problems. They think they can just rely on total strangers to be good tenants. Or even worse, the landlord thinks they can rely on a letting agency to sort things out.

Computer_Beginner

Cakeguts wrote: »

Very good letting agents

Letting agents exist to make money for themselves. Not the landlord. Not the tenant.

Cakeguts

Computer_Beginner wrote: »

Letting agents exist to make money for themselves. Not the landlord. Not the tenant.

Why would a letting agent paid by a landlord make money for a tenant?

Computer_Beginner

Cakeguts wrote: »

Why would a letting agent paid by a landlord make money for a tenant?

Letting agents charge the tenant and the landlord.

lookstraightahead

When I was a landlord I had fab tenants - I suppose I treated them like customers.

jackomdj

We were so very, very fortunate.
Daughter was at pre-school, eldest daughter at primary school. Had 30 mins between the drop offs. Sat with the other Mums and said we were keeping our house and renting it out when we bought the new one. One of the other mums said "I'll rent it", turns out she was splitting up from her hubby. I made her come and look, as she had only seen downstairs.
We completed on the Thursday, moved Friday, I cleaned on Sat am and she moved in in the afternoon.
Her new chap moved in not long after, he is a builder, he has decorated, they put new carpets in, fitted new bathroom (we paid for suit, he fitted for free).
They want assurance so sign a contract, now do a 2 year one. They have lived there for 7 years and just signed for another two.