How to cleverly identify tenant is going to be long term?

[Andy S.]

Hello friends, I am sure a lot of you would have gone through signing a new lease with your tenant where within 1 or 2 years of tenancy the tenant vacates a property. You had done a lot of due diligence and research on the tenant, yet it failed to identify the tenant is going to stay long term.

What are the clever tricks you have used to be sure this tenant is a long term rental prospect? When I show the property I ask them questions about current life situation. But try not to directly ask a question how long you plan to stay. Sometime the tenant himself mentions I will be buying my own home but need a year or two to save for downpayment (red flag for me as a landlord), however not all tenants are forthcoming. Some will fake their intent and say I plan to live here long term.

Any tricks and ideas how you would go about this?