There is just as much importance to screen and vet potential tenants for the properties in which you do not live as it is for the ones where you do. A major property management mistake is not properly screening tenants before allowing them into the property.

You are more likely to run into issues down the track if you have not implemented thorough and effective vetting procedures, including undeclared pets and payment issues, as well as property damage and clandestine drug labs later on in the process.

In order to prevent these issues from occurring, you simply need to ask the right questions so that you can take the appropriate measures.

Now let’s take a closer look at some of the most important questions you can ask potential tenants – the ones that will help you distinguish the best of the best from the rest.

When do you plan to move, and why?

Tenants who want to move in right away should be avoided unless they provide a good reason.

If a tenant wants to leave, they usually need to give a month’s notice, so a candidate seeking to move in immediately may be unreliable.

Why are they moving? Usually, the reasons will be reasonable and genuine. However, you should watch out for red flags such as evictions.

Approximately how long have you lived there?

Reliability is the best quality in a potential tenant, and flakiness is the worst. Potential tenants’ past performance can be used to predict their future performance whether they lived in their last apartment for 10 years or six apartments in the last year.

How much do you earn, and in what capacity?

The potential tenant may be able to pay rent in the long term if their job is stable and well-paid. The tenant should be able to afford it if they earn 2.5 times the monthly rent. If there are multiple tenants working, combine their earnings.

Would you be willing to submit to a credit or background check?

As long as the potential tenant agrees, you will be able to get a good idea of their level of responsibility, both socially and financially. You have to assume if they don’t respond, then that is a good sign that they have something to hide, and that’s a bad thing. You will need written consent from the individual in order to run these checks on them – a verbal agreement cannot be legally enforceable.

Can you provide any reference from your former landlord or employer?

There is no doubt that lying is easy, particularly if you are accustomed to it by now. In order to determine the quality of a potential tenant, therefore, it is better not to take the information straight from the horse’s mouth, but rather to reach out to a third party (ideally an independent party) who can assess the situation.

Make sure that you ask for references from previous employers and landlords. There should be a large and loudly flapping red flag raised by the candidate if they are reluctant to hand them over. When they do offer up any references, take the time to speak to them directly, and ask probing questions concerning the character and reliability of the tenant.

Did you ever get evicted?

Having an answer of yes shouldn’t invalidate an application – at least you know the candidate is honest! Occasionally, there may be extenuating circumstances that should be taken into consideration. It may have been a result of no fault of the tenant, or it may have occurred a long time ago with no problems since then. Obviously, if the answer is yes, it isn’t a good sign, but it’s something that you need to explore further if the answer is yes.

Would you be able to produce a bond and the first month’s rent before moving in?

There is no if, no buts, no asterisks, no exceptions – always take receipt of the security deposit and the first month’s rent before the tenant moves in – there are no ifs, no buts, no asterisks, no exceptions. In the event that they cannot raise the funds in time, then they are not the right tenant for you.

How many people will be living in the property at the same time?

Are you planning to rent a place to live alone, with a partner, with a family, with friends? It is your responsibility as the manager of the property to know who will be staying in it at any given time. Each type of tenant will bring with them their own set of advantages and disadvantages: young families are stable, but toddlers may want to draw on every surface as if it were a canvas. It is not surprising that share house arrangements can be profitable, but individual tenants will constantly be coming and going from the house.

Do you own a pet? 

The first thing that you need to do is decide whether your property will accept pets or not from the beginning. By instituting a ‘no pets’ policy, you will be able to strike off the list of potential tenants who have pets without any hesitation at all. The advantage of accepting applicants that have pets is that you will have access to a broader pool of candidates, but you will also expose yourself to greater risks – claws, teeth, and bodily functions (of both tenants and their pets) can cause real and lasting damage to both the building and its furnishings.

Are there any questions you would like to ask us?

Just as you are trying to find the right tenant for your rental property, it is important to understand that potential tenants are also trying to find the right rental property to suit their needs. In order to decide whether or not this is the right rental for them, it is important to let them ask questions, so they can determine whether it is the right rental for them.

The same goes with anyone you come across, potential tenants should earn their place in your rental property. If you want to conduct a thorough vetting process, you can find a lot of benefits to doing so, whereas if you rush it, it’s not worth the risk.