How to Spot Professional Tenants

Have you heard of "professional" tenants? Beware these renters who appear too good to be true.

Professional tenants are some of the worst tenants to handle. They look like your dream tenant. They have all the right answers to your questions, and they seem to have everything in order.

However, once they get into your rental property, things change for the worse. Here's what to look for in a professional tenant and what to do if you have to deal with one.

They Aren't What They Seem

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a Jacksonville landlord is neglecting a thorough screening process. Professional tenants often seem like the perfect renters without raising suspicion.

However, once they are approved for a rental home and move in, they transform into terrible tenants.

Professional tenants are polite and engaging. You might find they will arrive at a screening interview with cash to pay a deposit for your rental.

It's all a ruse to divert your attention. They hope to make such an excellent first impression that you don't dig deeper into their background and rental history.

Professional tenants are "professional" in the way they go from rental to rental with no intention of a long-term stay. They dodge evictions. They rarely pay their past due rent.

The best way to get past their perfect exterior is a thorough screening process that includes a background check.

Red Flags Are There-If You Look Close

If a professional tenant has duped you, you're not alone. They are very good at what they do.

The best way to deal with them is by avoiding them. You won't see the glaring flaws on the surface of these professional tenants, be sure you run a background check and look for red flags.

A HISTORY OF PRIOR EVICTIONS

There might be a unique circumstance for one eviction, and you should discuss it with your applicant. But it's worth letting them know you see the eviction and it's caught your attention and is a concern.

Multiple evictions are a red flag and a qualified reason to pass on a tenant.

BAD OR QUESTIONABLE REFERENCES

The potential tenant will often tell their references what to say to make them seem like they're good tenant material. Often, they will teach all their references the same stories, so be on the lookout for that. Also, you should be able to get in touch with past landlords. If not, that's a big red flag.

DELINQUENCY WITH FORMER LANDLORDS

Not every tenant issue goes all the way to eviction. However, late payments or other landlord-tenant problems are red flags to consider with any potential tenant.

A background check will reveal late payments and other concerning issues with your professional tenant applicant.

A TROUBLING FINANCIAL BACKGROUND

A background check will show bankruptcies, a history of unemployment, or bad credit. Beware any applicant with these red flags.

A professional tenant will offer cash for a deposit to avoid a financial background check during the application process. If this happens, deny the applicant or run the background checks first.

VOLUNTEERING LEGAL KNOWLEDGE

A legitimate tenant usually won't take the offensive with how much they know about defending their rights.

If a potential tenant volunteers information about real estate, rules, or tenant laws, that's a red flag for a potential problem.

Any one of these red flags is grounds for denying a tenant. If you find more than one of these issues, this tenant isn't right for your properties.

Get Help With Professional Tenants

Don't go it alone. Call in the professionals to deal with professional tenants. Don't risk the guessing game to try and figure out if a tenant is genuinely "good" or just putting on a good show for you.

You need a property management company with the experience of dealing with professional tenants.

IF YOU SUSPECT A PROFESSIONAL TENANT IN YOUR PROPERTY

If you think you already have a professional renter in one of your properties, it's not too late for help.

Call one of the best property management companies in Jacksonville, FL to evaluate the situation.

Professional property managers know how to deal with professional tenants. They can guide you before you take action against a problem tenant.

AVOIDING FUTURE PROFESSIONAL TENANTS

Working with a property management company gives you the benefit of their thorough screening resources. The process includes credit, financial, prior rental history, criminal history, and employment.

With these resources, you reduce the potential for a professional tenant to slip through the cracks.

You Need Professionals Deal to Deal With "Professionals"

You need the best Jacksonville property management company to deal with professional tenants. Green River Property Management knows how to spot a professional tenant before they can cause problems for our landlords.

It only takes a few minutes to put tenants applicants through our screening process. Plus, we collect all rent payments online to weed out dishonest, cash-only professional tenants.

Schedule a Time to Talk!