Best Way to Find Responsible Tenants

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Best Way to Find Responsible Tenants

Corazon B.
Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes

From your experience, where did you find your best and responsible tenants? Was it from referrals or word of mouth? Or craigslist or sites like zillow?
If you use referrals, do you give incentives like cash or gift cards? 

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Bjorn AhlbladPro Member
Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
5y

@Corazon B. it does not matter where the applicants are coming from the only thing that counts is your thorough screening process.

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  • Scott M.
    Real Estate Broker · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    Probably a bit different for us as we use management software and are a larger company so we post our ads through that (appfolio) and they syndicate out to X number of sites and then it propagates out from there.  What we found is that different areas (even locally) have different preferred sites.  On X side of town we get the most leads from Zumper.com and on Y side of town we get X number of leads from Hotpads.com.  There is zero doubt that Zillow (and the Zillow family) brings in the largest number of leads but this year they started charging a lot (to us) to post rental ads so our management software stopped using it unless we paid extra. That made us take a look at not the greatest number of leads but which sites provide the most approved tenants for us, and it wasn't zillow by a long shot.  

    The only way to know what works locally is throw up a bunch of ads and keep track of how many responses you get from each, how many turn into actual leads, how many see the homes, how many fill out apps, how man you approve.  For us, we can't actually answer this question because it varies depending on the area the home is in.  

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  • Bjorn AhlbladPro Member
    Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. it does not matter where the applicants are coming from the only thing that counts is your thorough screening process.

    4Reply
  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Bjorn Ahlblad:

    @Corazon B. it does not matter where the applicants are coming from the only thing that counts is your thorough screening process.

    But isn't it the more applicants, the more options you will have to choose from for responsible tenants? 

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Scott M.:

    The only way to know what works locally is throw up a bunch of ads and keep track of how many responses you get from each, how many turn into actual leads, how many see the homes, how many fill out apps, how man you approve.  For us, we can't actually answer this question because it varies depending on the area the home is in.  

    I live in Cape Coral, Florida, I don't have a lot of real life connections so I would probably need to rely on online ads. 

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  • Scott M.
    Real Estate Broker · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    yes, the more applicants you have the more options you have.  My point was that you may get responses saying X site is the best, Y site is the best but that only means that is what is the best for those people in the areas they seek tenants out.  The only way to truly know for your area is to place ads on multiple sites or use a syndicating service.  Lots of options in todays world that will allow you to place an ad and do tenant screening all in one, just search this forum for lots of posts similar to yours.  My 2nd point was personally, we get (got) more traffic from Zillow but we placed fewer tenants from that site than any other....but that is just us and just for our local area.   

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Scott M.:

    yes, the more applicants you have the more options you have.  My point was that you may get responses saying X site is the best, Y site is the best but that only means that is what is the best for those people in the areas they seek tenants out.  The only way to truly know for your area is to place ads on multiple sites or use a syndicating service.  Lots of options in todays world that will allow you to place an ad and do tenant screening all in one, just search this forum for lots of posts similar to yours.  My 2nd point was personally, we get (got) more traffic from Zillow but we placed fewer tenants from that site than any other....but that is just us and just for our local area.   

    You said you got fewer tenants from that site although you got more traffic. Why is that? Was it because the quality of tenants you got from Zillow was not good? 

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  • Scott M.
    Real Estate Broker · Rochester Hills, MI · Member since 2009 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    I wouldn't say that, no.  To be perfectly honest with you I don't think there is a right answer to the question you are trying to get answered.  Leads are leads.  They are not good or bad.  They are not responsible or not.  Same for the sites that help you generate them.  Its not like all bad/irresponsible tenants all know to go to badtenants.com and fill out a guest card.  Would be incredible if it worked that way : ) 

    And my comments are only for my area and my homes.  I know people who only use x site and others who only use y site.  You need to jump in, get as many leads into the funnel as you can and have a process of pre qualification and qualification to help you sort it.  

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y

    How long did it take for you guys to find tenants in the beginning? 

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  • Carl Hebert
    Rental Property Investor · Auburn, ME · Member since 2015 · 236 posts · 140 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. Hi Corazon, I used Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Apartments.com for my last rental here in Cape Coral. Had plenty of applicants. 

    In the future I will post to those and also use the syndication feature available to me through RentecDirect. 

    Also if you plan on renting to people who are on section 8 you can get a hold of the Lee County Housing Authority as they are always looking for places and they currently have a bonus (I believe it is still available) if you rent to someone who has section 8.

    My places up in Lewiston, Maine are almost always rented through Facebook Marketplace. 

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  • Curtis Mears
    Property Manager · Raleigh, NC · Member since 2014 · 729 posts · 596 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B.

    I exclusively use zillow and Craigslist. This will provide the applicants, from there, it us up to you to make sure they are qualified and responsible.

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  • Gail K.
    Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    As others have mentioned, it's your screening process that is the more important than where you get tenants.  The most responses I get are from FB Marketplace but these are also the most useless because, despite posting my requirements even BEFORE describing the rental I've found a large percentage don't even read the ad and the requirements.  I stopped using Craigslist a few years ago because there were so many issues with ads being stolen.

    I think how much rent you charge MAY play a role in the quality of the tenant you get.  Or conversely, cheap rent will bring out the poor applicants in droves and those tend to have many personal problems.

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Gail K.:

    As others have mentioned, it's your screening process that is the more important than where you get tenants.  The most responses I get are from FB Marketplace but these are also the most useless because, despite posting my requirements even BEFORE describing the rental I've found a large percentage don't even read the ad and the requirements.  I stopped using Craigslist a few years ago because there were so many issues with ads being stolen.

    I think how much rent you charge MAY play a role in the quality of the tenant you get.  Or conversely, cheap rent will bring out the poor applicants in droves and those tend to have many personal problems.

    Wow, but yea it does makes sense...higher quality houses and expensive rent attracts higher quality tenants. You said you stopped using Craigslist? So what do you use now?

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Carl Hebert:

    @Corazon B. Hi Corazon, I used Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and Apartments.com for my last rental here in Cape Coral. Had plenty of applicants. 

    In the future I will post to those and also use the syndication feature available to me through RentecDirect. 

    Also if you plan on renting to people who are on section 8 you can get a hold of the Lee County Housing Authority as they are always looking for places and they currently have a bonus (I believe it is still available) if you rent to someone who has section 8.

    My places up in Lewiston, Maine are almost always rented through Facebook Marketplace. 

     When you use Craigslist, do you also put up the exact home address of your rental? What if the person looking at the ad is shady and break in your home? 

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  • Michael K GallagherBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus OH · Member since 2018 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. Honestly it’s the simple stuff....run them through an application process like on Zillow where they have to pay, that filters the not serious ones out, and then just actually call references/jobs/employers to confirm the info. I set some some guide lines for my tenants...example: 600 credit score, 2x income to rent multiple, and no criminal background. If they meet all that and the references check out, it’s an automatic application acceptance and I present them with a lease. If they don’t meet one or more of those I’ll ask for additional documentation and or references and take another look as a whole. But you need that standard in writing and published and to follow it to avoid any discrimination issues.

    [email protected]614-362-2231
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  • Ally Mager
    Property Manager · Member since 2021 · 16 posts · 14 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B.

    In our experience, most of our applicants come from Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. We use Appfolio for screening, which does a nice job.

    Credit can tell you a lot about a resident. The higher the credit, the better chance you have of a responsible resident. We also require 3x the rent for income, which has helped reduce delinquency.

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  • Reginald HendricksPro Member
    Investor · Jacksonville, FL · Member since 2016 · 8 posts · 0 votes
    5y

    I use 

    Denise Gerrard-Broker Associate

    Remax Specialists

    904-502-5317


    she’s very good

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  • Gail K.
    Augusta, GA · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    I'm using Zillow and Zumper.

    It's good to state your criteria in each ad and stick with this.  Not only are you being legally fair but these are screen outs for those whose income or credit histories do not meet your criteria but are still desperate for a rental.  

    Remember these are the folks who seek out private landlords.

    0Reply
  • Tracy Minick
    Rental Property Investor · Monroe, WA · Member since 2018 · 177 posts · 98 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B.

    Tenant source is not the issue! Take all referrals, whether it is from friends, colleagues, Zillow or Facebook. The important piece is to establish criteria, follow your criteria and verify all details!

    0Reply
  • Mary Smith
    Rental Property Investor · Member since 2021 · 385 posts · 197 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. We've been using our property management software that publishes our listings to the apartments.com & realtor.com networks. So far we've had good traction from these sites. We have all our leads fill out a basic online application, so it makes it easy for us to weed out the ones that do not meet our screening requirements. 

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Online marketing. I don't like word-of-mouth referrals because the individual shows up to apply and usually doesn't know that we're planning to increase rent or make other changes that didn't apply to the previous tenant. Or they don't qualify and waste our time. I prefer to start fresh with someone that knows what we're advertising and what our qualifications are from the very beginning.

    The DIY Landlord Book4.7247 Reviews
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  • Linda S.
    Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y

    @Corazon B.,

    We use zillow.com, it's easy and cheap $10/week, and get TONS AND TONS OF LEADS.   That being said, majority are not qualified,   but that's going to be anywhere, you have to find out if the people are qualified first, that's a given.   To answer your question, you find good responsible tenants  by meeting them, you weed out by observing.   I watch everything.

    Screening is a 50% art, 50% science IMO, first-- do they pass/exceed your qualifications on paper?   If yes, they should get a showing/open house invitation--- that's when you should be on high alert.   Are they on time?   How do they dress?   What do they drive ($$$ car payment)?  Are they nit picking or complaining now, if so-- you'll be in for a ride.  If there are kids, are they running around like crazy, or can you tell the mom has control?    Are they genuinely interested, or settling-- people who love and are happy with their homes take better care of it then someone who it's just okay.    Will they fit in the area,  could you  see them being friends with the neighbors?   I've had times when my front runner, the person I'm 99% sure of, turns out their significant other is a jerk and chose someone else,   or if the front runner is aloof,  I don't rent to them.. you learn a lot about a person by meeting them!   

     The intangibles of how they are in person, is the critical component  and why IMO I'd never just go off what they are like on paper.

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  • David Dachtera
    Rental Property Investor · Rockford, IL · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Corazon B.:
    Originally posted by @Scott M.:

    yes, the more applicants you have the more options you have.  My point was that you may get responses saying X site is the best, Y site is the best but that only means that is what is the best for those people in the areas they seek tenants out.  The only way to truly know for your area is to place ads on multiple sites or use a syndicating service.  Lots of options in todays world that will allow you to place an ad and do tenant screening all in one, just search this forum for lots of posts similar to yours.  My 2nd point was personally, we get (got) more traffic from Zillow but we placed fewer tenants from that site than any other....but that is just us and just for our local area.   

    You said you got fewer tenants from that site although you got more traffic. Why is that? Was it because the quality of tenants you got from Zillow was not good? 

    A quick reminder about Equal Housing Opportunity (EHO) ... Federal Law REQUIRES that the first qualified applicant be accepted. "Cherry picking" applications is illegal. Ask your RE Attorney to explain it to you.

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  • Corazon B.
    OP
    Member since 2020 · 49 posts · 3 votes
    5y

    Love this site, great tips here! :)

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  • Michael Doherty
    Real Estate Agent · West Hartford, CT · Member since 2016 · 449 posts · 476 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. what works for my partner @Ryan Deasy and I is Facebook marketplace. I post an ad there for a rental with pictures, detailed description ect. When they request to see if its available and set up a showing, I send them a list of pre screening/qualifying questions. This weeds out most tire tickers and the other half don't respond. Of those left that are 'qualified' I set up an in person showing. Out of the group of people that schedule to come, 25% don't show. I then weed it down to a few more and I then request credit/background screening and have them fill out an application. From there we make a selection. Out of 25 units we have a pretty good track record of no evictions or bad tenants (knock on wood).

    We like Facebook because we can get a small glimpse of the people we are renting to through pictures, messages, FB wall, ect ect.... its all out there for the public. You cant get the same level of detail through other methods. 

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  • Carl Hebert
    Rental Property Investor · Auburn, ME · Member since 2015 · 236 posts · 140 votes
    5y

    @Corazon B. I list the address of the unit. Would you want to rent a place and not know where it is? If someone wants to take the time to break into an empty apartment and take the fridge I have insurance for that. :)

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