{"id":136042,"date":"2021-04-07T13:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-07T19:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/?p=136042"},"modified":"2023-07-10T10:33:47","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10T16:33:47","slug":"good-tenant-traits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/good-tenant-traits","title":{"rendered":"8 Traits of a Top-Tier Tenant\u2014And How to Spot Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n      <iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"200\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=BIGPOC2247818781\" width=\"100%\"><\/iframe>  \n\n\n\n\n<p>As a landlord, the quality of your renters determines the quality of your returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Good, stable tenants mean good, stable returns. Frequent turnovers, evictions, and constant repairs all push your returns in one direction: down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The next time you screen your rental applications, look for the following traits of a top-tier tenant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"hero-block_62ee867235a1c\" class=\"first:mt-0 hero-block py-4    has-background has-slate-300-background-color has-text-color has-slate-800-color\">\n    <div\n        class=\"gap-10 lg:gap-20 flex flex-wrap lg:flex-nowrap max-w-screen-xl mx-auto px-4 relative lg:items-center \">\n\n        <div class=\"relative z-30 lg:w-2\/3 \">\n            <main class=\"py-4\">\n                \n\n<p class=\"has-theme-slate-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:800\">Find financial freedom through rentals<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"my-3 md:my-5 lg:my-8 has-theme-slate-color has-text-color\" style=\"font-size:16px\">If you\u2019re considering using rental properties to build wealth, this book is a must-read. With nearly 400 pages of in-depth advice for building wealth through rental properties,&nbsp;<a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/store.biggerpockets.com\/products\/rental-property-investing?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog%20banner\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The Book on Rental Property Investing<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;imparts the practical and exciting strategies that investors use to build cash flow and wealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=button-custom-event-block_641384b1eb1d8 class='button-custom-event'>\n      <a\n    href=\"https:\/\/store.biggerpockets.com\/products\/rental-property-investing?utm_source=blog&#038;utm_medium=marketing_block\"\n        x-on:click=\"window.analytics.track('Blog Block | Publishing: Rental Property Investing', {\n      referrer: 'https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/good-tenant-traits',\n    });\"\n    class=\" btn-shape inline-block no-underline has-background has-theme-gold-background-color has-text-color has-white-color\" target=\"_blank\">Get Yours Now<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n\n            <\/main>\n        <\/div>\n\n                <div class=\"lg:w-1\/3 first:mt-0 relative h-full lg:flex lg:items-center\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"object-cover w-full relative z-20 my-0  rounded-md hidden lg:block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/rental-property-investing.jpeg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\n        <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not litigious<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, landlords can and should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2015-11-24-landlord-minimize-chances-lawsuit\" target=\"_blank\">minimize the odds of getting sued<\/a> by being model landlords. But landlords can also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2015-11-11-tips-keep-from-being-sued-as-a-landlord\" target=\"_blank\">avoid lawsuits<\/a> by screening out litigious tenants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people love the idea of scoring easy money from a lawsuit. Even if a tenant doesn\u2019t come from that mindset, if they\u2019ve sued their landlord once, they may be more likely to sue another landlord in the future, depending on the reason for the lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>First, contact both their current and former landlords to ask about the applicant. Ask them point-blank if the tenant ever threatened a lawsuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also run the applicant\u2019s name through local public records searches to see if they\u2019ve been a party to any lawsuits in the past. Just be aware that these records tend to only include the local jurisdiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Low maintenance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ever had a tenant who contacted you every month to make demands?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They want better shower pressure. They want the unit repainted. They want new carpets. They want you to install top-of-the-line smart home gadgets throughout the entire house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You probably don\u2019t want this tenant in your rental unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you don\u2019t give them what they want, they keep bringing it up. If you do give them what they want, you reward their nagging and they find something new to demand. It\u2019s a no-win situation, and it leaves you wondering if it\u2019s worth incurring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/tenant-turnover-solution\" target=\"_blank\">costs of a turnover<\/a> in order to get rid of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This of course does not apply to standard repairs or wear and tear. It is still part of your obligations as a landlord to keep your units up to date and in good condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once again, ask the applicants\u2019 current and former landlords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t beat around the bush\u2014just ask them if the tenant is needy and demanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that you also want to contact the prior landlord, not just the tenant\u2019s current landlord, when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/2013-01-27-tenant-screening\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">screening tenants<\/a>. The current landlord may simply want to get rid of a terrible tenant at any cost. Prior landlords don\u2019t have anything to gain or lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conscientious<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Conscientious people do the right thing because it\u2019s the right thing. They inherently want to be responsible people simply for the sake of being responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For these people, paying all their bills on time when they can is the only conscionable way to live. It would never occur to them to blow off paying their bills if they had the money to pay them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Always, always run a credit report on all rental applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the lending world, they say that a person\u2019s income tells if they can pay, and a person\u2019s credit history tells you if they will pay. Look beyond the simplistic FICO score, and actually learn how to read a credit report. Start by looking at their payment history: Do they consistently pay every bill on time, or do you see a pattern of late payments?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they haven\u2019t had a chance to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-to-build-credit\" target=\"_blank\">build credit history<\/a> yet, require a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/allow-rental-cosigner\" target=\"_blank\">cosigner<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Accountable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sometimes a tenant\u2019s payment history reveals all on-time payments\u2014except for one isolated period when they fell dramatically behind. How should landlords handle these applicants?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We all run into personal crises sooner or later. It could come from a divorce, or a job loss followed by a lengthy period of unemployment, or a business collapsing. Bad things happen to good, conscientious people all the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference lies in how people think of these hiccups. For some people, nothing is ever their fault. It\u2019s always someone else\u2019s fault, always the circumstances, always bad luck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accountable people don\u2019t play the blame game. They say \u201cI messed up, I paid the price for it, I learned my lesson, and I moved on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you find a singular gap in good payment history on an applicant\u2019s credit report, ask them about it. For that matter, if you see any red flags or have any questions at all about an otherwise promising applicant, get very specific in asking about them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference doesn\u2019t lie so much in what happened, but in how the applicant describes what happened. And it\u2019s sometimes subtle\u2014you have to listen closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applicant A might say, \u201cI lost my job. It wasn\u2019t my fault, my boss had it out for me. Because she badmouthed me to every prospective employer, I couldn\u2019t get a job for six months.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Applicant B might say, \u201cI lost my job. It took me six months to find a replacement job that fit my skill set, and it was a difficult six months, I don\u2019t mind telling you. But the fact is I should have kept a deeper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/how-much-money-reserve-fund\" target=\"_blank\">emergency fund<\/a>, and I didn\u2019t. I now keep six months\u2019 worth of expenses in my cash emergency fund.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They probably won&#8217;t phrase it exactly like this, but listen for cues about where they lay blame and whether they&#8217;ve taken any actions to avoid a repeat in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a final thought on the subject, try to speak with applicants\u2019 direct supervisors, not just their employer\u2019s HR department. Direct supervisors can tell you what kind of person the applicant is, how responsible they are, and how accountable they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Clean<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You don\u2019t want a filthy slob moving into your rental unit. Even if they pay the rent like clockwork every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid dirty tenants if for no other reason than to avoid pest control problems in your rental property. But dirty people also tend to cause more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rental-property-damage-normal-wear-tear-difference\" target=\"_blank\">wear and tear<\/a>, both on the flooring and on the walls\u2014wear and tear that you can\u2019t deduct from their security deposit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After showing a vacant unit, walk the prospect to their car and look at the inside. How people keep their car usually reflects how they keep their home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even better, find an excuse to drop by their current home as a final screening measure before signing a lease agreement. You can even just come out and say, \u201cI need to inspect your current home.\u201d Just don\u2019t give them advance notice to clean it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Not a partier<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Likewise, a tenant can be good about paying their rent but still love to party. When I was 23, I paid my rent on time every month\u2014and had friends over partying every weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Which, again, causes far more wear and tear on your unit and creates a higher risk of extensive property damage beyond what their security deposit can cover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/rent-to-college-kid\" target=\"_blank\">rent to college students<\/a> or young adults in their 20s, the risk of heavy partiers jumps sky high. That doesn\u2019t mean you should discriminate by age, but it does mean you need to pay more attention to this particular risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by asking current and former landlords about whether the applicant likes to party. But many landlords simply don\u2019t know the answer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/3-sneaky-but-legalways-screen-potential-tenants\" target=\"_blank\">screening their social media accounts<\/a> to look for repetitive party photos and references.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stable, with long-term intentions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Turnovers are where most of the costs and labor lie for landlords. The simplest way to reduce your costs\u2014and thereby increase your returns\u2014is to minimize turnovers and aim to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/11-ways-boost-tenant-retention-higher-roi\" target=\"_blank\">retain good tenants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This means you don\u2019t want someone who\u2019s going to move out in a year or two and force you to repaint and advertise the unit all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Start by simply asking applicants about their long-term plans. Leave it open-ended at first, let them fill in the gaps for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If they don\u2019t mention how long they plan to stick around in the unit, ask them directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But don\u2019t just take their word for it. Look at their housing history, and how long they\u2019ve lived at each of their homes in the last ten years. Have they lived in two homes, or eight? If it&#8217;s a high number, have their circumstances changed since then? Much as I love <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theprofessionalhobo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Professional Hobo<\/a>\u2019s blog, I wouldn\u2019t want to rent to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rent to someone who wants to stick around for the long term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stable income (or excellent budgeting)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While obvious, it still bears mentioning that you want renters with stable, reliable income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Self-employed people, or those paid on tips or commissions, tend to have more irregular income. Employees with a W2 paycheck, in contrast, tend to earn the same amount every month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This doesn\u2019t mean you shouldn\u2019t accept self-employed renters or those paid on tips or commissions. But it does mean you need to dig deeper before renting to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to screen for it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ask for four months\u2019 pay stubs, plus two years\u2019 tax returns. How stable is the applicant\u2019s income?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If it\u2019s unstable, ask about their budgeting practices and what kind of emergency fund they keep. I myself earn vastly fluctuating income\u2014and I compensate by keeping a larger emergency fund than most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Don&#8217;t compromise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Top-tier tenants come with all of the traits above, not just a few.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not compromise on your tenant standards. Keep screening rental applications until you find the perfect fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s better to leave the unit vacant for a few extra weeks and land the perfect tenant than to bring in a weak tenant who you\u2019ll have to chase for rent, or who will cause extensive property damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The quality of your renters determines the quality of your returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n  <div id=\"posts_lists-block_6064d1654b00d\" class=\"  my-10\">\n    <div class=\"\">\n      <!-- Column One -->\n      <div>\n                  <h2 class=\"mt-0 mb-1 js-toc-ignore\">\n            More on landlording at BiggerPockets          <\/h2>  \n                  \n        \n        \n        <div class=\"grid grid-cols-1 gap-y-4 lg:gap-y-7 mt-5\">\n          \n<article \n\tid=\"post-81689\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-81689 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-landlording tag-landlord-seo tag-renter-secreening tag-screening-renters tag-screening-tenants tag-seo-optimization tag-tenant-screening\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/background-check-debate\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"163\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/home-appraisal-cost.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"How to Run a Tenant Background Check\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/home-appraisal-cost.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/home-appraisal-cost-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/managing-scaling\/landlording\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">Landlording &amp; Property Management<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">6 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bp-wp-migration.s3.amazonaws.com\/author_avatars\/12140.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-03-18T05:00:58-06:00\">Mar 18, 2020<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2021-03-16T12:12:09-06:00\">Mar 16, 2021<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/sterlingwhite\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Sterling White<\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/background-check-debate\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\tHow to Run a Tenant Background Check\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">Can you perform background checks on tenant applicants? Should you? Or is it a waste of time that is killing your occupancy rates and real estate returns?<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"81689\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-81689 -->\n<article \n\tid=\"post-90744\" \n\tclass=\"content-card mb-0 flex flex-col  post-90744 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-biggerpockets-daily category-landlording tag-landlord-seo tag-seo-optimization\">\n\n\t<header class=\"entry-header\">\t\t\t\n\t\t<!-- Image -->\n        \t\t\t<a class=\"post-thumbnail\" href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/landlord-reference-questions\" target=\"_blank\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"340\" height=\"163\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/landlord-references.jpg\" class=\"size-card w-full  m-0 aspect-[68\/45] object-scale-down wp-post-image\" alt=\"12 Must-Ask Landlord Reference Check Questions\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/landlord-references.jpg 702w, https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/landlord-references-300x144.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 340px) 100vw, 340px\" title=\"\">\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t        \n\n\t\t<!-- Content Wrapper -->\n\t\t<div class=\"py-4 \">\t\n                            <div class=\"flex gap-4 justify-between items-center\">\n                    <!-- Category  -->\n                                            <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/category\/biggerpockets-daily\" class=\"transition-colors bg-themeBlue\/20 text-themeBlue-medium hover:bg-themeBlue hover:text-white px-2 py-1 mb-2 inline-block rounded-sm no-underline text-sm\" target=\"_blank\">BiggerPockets Daily<\/a>\n                    \n                                            <span class=\"text-sm text-gray-500 hidden lg:inline-block\">3 min read<\/span>\n                                    <\/div>\n            \n           <div class=\"flex gap-3 items-center my-2 flex-nowrap text-base\">\n                <!-- Avatar and Author Name -->\n                <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bp-wp-migration.s3.amazonaws.com\/author_avatars\/710.jpg\" class=\"w-8 h-8 object-cover my-0 inline-block rounded-full\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><span class='leading-snug text-slate-500 flex items-center'><span class='hidden whitespace-nowrap sm:inline-block md:hidden lg:inline-block pr-1'><span class='posted-on'><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-02-04T09:00:34-07:00\">Feb 04, 2020<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2023-03-20T11:23:39-06:00\">Mar 20, 2023<\/time><\/span><\/span>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/contributors\/brandonturner\" class=\"no-underline line-clamp-1\" target=\"_blank\">Brandon Turner<\/a><\/span>            <\/div>\n\n            <!-- Post title -->\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"entry-title js-toc-ignore mt-4 mb-0 text-xl leading-snug text-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/landlord-reference-questions\" rel=\"bookmark\" class=\"whitespace-normal no-underline font-bold  text-slate visited:text-slate hover:text-themeBlue\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t12 Must-Ask Landlord Reference Check Questions\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n                        <p class=\"text-lg font-normal mt-3 text-slate-500 mb-1 line-clamp-3\">When you&#8217;re screening a tenant, getting references from previous landlords is perhaps the most important step in your due diligence. Be sure to run through these questions to get all&hellip;<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n     <footer class=\"flex justify-between mt-auto\">\n        <!-- Comment Count -->\n        \t\t<span class='flex items-center space-x-2 text-sm' x-cloak x-data='commentCount()' :class=\"parseFloat(commentCount) < 1 || commentCount == '' ? 'hidden' : 'flex'\">\n\t\t\n            <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"h-5 w-5 text-slate text-opacity-50\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" stroke=\"currentColor\">\n                <path stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\" stroke-width=\"2\" d=\"M17 8h2a2 2 0 012 2v6a2 2 0 01-2 2h-2v4l-4-4H9a1.994 1.994 0 01-1.414-.586m0 0L11 14h4a2 2 0 002-2V6a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v6a2 2 0 002 2h2v4l.586-.586z\" \/>\n            <\/svg>\n\n            <span x-ref=\"comment_count\" class=\"disqus-comment-count text-slate text-opacity-80\" data-disqus-identifier=\"90744\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n        <\/span>\n\t    <\/footer>\n<\/article><!-- #post-90744 -->        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n  ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Good, stable tenants mean good, stable returns. Frequent turnovers, evictions, and constant repairs all push your returns in one direction: down. These key traits often indicate a top-notch tenant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158586,"featured_media":137144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5183,7119],"tags":[1606,7224,7228,256],"class_list":["post-136042","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-landlording","category-biggerpockets-daily","tag-landlording","tag-landlording-rental-properties","tag-real-estate-comm","tag-tenants"],"acf":[],"comment_count":0,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136042","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158586"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=136042"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/136042\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/137144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=136042"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=136042"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biggerpockets.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=136042"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}