What do l need to do to prevent Tenant messing up the property

Question

Hello , l am just starting to rent a property out to section 8  tenant , what are the things to do to minimize/prevent  section 8/regular  tenants  from messing up the rented property . Thank you for your answers .

Michael Smythe · Answer

@Oladosu Segun good screening!

Inspect their current home - how it looks is how yours will look after they move in.

Adam Bartomeo · Answer

You can make the property indestructible! Seriously! Avoid putting certain items in the property like disposals, dishwashers, and mini blinds. Avoid putting in cheap items and put in more durable - tile vs carpet, mini blinds vs faux wood, lights instead of ceiling fans. Your best offense is a good defense.

Oladosu Segun · Answer

Thank you for the advice .

Oladosu Segun · Answer

Thank you .

Nathan Gesner · Answer

1. Avoid Section 8 tenants. Seriously, they are a lower-quality renter that poses a higher risk. If you want to see examples of how Section 8 tenants behave, check out the Holton Wise Property Group website. They have a TV channel dedicated to bad tenants and I believe they are almost always Section 8 tenants.

2. Have a good lease and know how to use it. If your lease says they can't add a pet or move in a family of four without your permission, you need to know how to enforce that. If you don't, there's no point in having a lease.

3. Inspect at least once every six months. If you find a problem, deal with it immediately by making the tenant correct it within X days (and verify with another inspection) or remove them from the property.

Most DIY landlords lose more money to simple mistakes than it would cost them to hire a professional property manager. If you are going to do it yourself and be successful, you must know the law inside and out and learn how to resolve problems before they happen.

If only someone wrote a practical how-to book for DIY Landlords... (foreshadowing)

Joseph Beilke · Answer

In your contract/leases have you noted the right to have interior inspection?  In my lease and my contract with owners, I do 2 interior inspections a year and 2 exterior  or "drive by". I also make it a point if I have a repair or service being done at the property it gives me a chance to see the inside while I over see the work being done.

I recommend setting your expectation of the level of cleanliness, maintenance of the yard and grounds at a very high level to the tenants.  You set the bar high it gives you room to be okay if they don't pick weeds every month.

The biggest thing is communication, keep it touch with your tenant, make sure you emphasize that you want them happy with the property and that you need to know right away of any issues with the property.  I'm not saying to be there friend, just be an advocate to having a nice comfortable and safe place to live.  If they put a hole in a wall fix it as face as possible and let them know it's not okay, but accidents do happen. Make sure they pay for the repairs, but don't charge them $250 for something that cost you $50 plus time, be fair.

Lastly, set up your property as tenant proof as possible.  Do not invite things to be messed up.  For example, garage disposals, tenants don't think about what goes down there and how it breaks or mess with your sewer lines.   If you don't put them in, they can't mess it up.

What do l need to do to prevent Tenant messing up the property

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