4 Ways to Find The Best Woodland Hills Rental Tenants
No Woodland Hills landlord wants to rent a property to anyone that comes knocking, but when you’re seeing so many people, how do you know who is going to get their rent in on time and who will take good care of your Woodland Hills rental property?
By going through a tenant screening process, you’ll give yourself a good chance at finding a reliable tenant who will pay rent on time. You’ll also be able to weed out those who might not be so financially stable. If you need help finding a tenant, here are four ways to find the best ones in Woodland Hills.
Have a Good Screening System
Rookie landlords will rent out their Woodland Hills rental properties to the first person who happens to show interest in the property, but this isn’t a good strategy. You need a screening system that will allow you to find a financially stable tenant who fits your criteria. A strict system ensures that your properties stay full all year round.
First, have every applicant fill out an application before seeing the property. It doesn’t have to be more than a page. You really just need to get a feel for their finances, such as where they might be working or whether or not they have a criminal background. If a tenant’s answers don’t match what you need, then you go politely decline and keep up your search.
Post Online Listings
Online listings should be your first choice when advertising your Woodland Hills rental property. Newspapers may still work for some people, but if you want to get the word out to the most people, you need to use online sites and social media to show off your property.
Setting up your own website with photos and descriptions of your property will also work. It gives window shoppers a chance to browse your properties without needing to schedule a showing. Make sure you post plenty of pictures to entice tenants. The more they see your property, the more likely they’ll be to contact you for a showing.
You can also ask prospective tenants to fill out their applications online or email you to see an apartment. Some might not take that extra step, so this is a good way to weed people out.
Go Back to Previous Landlords
When a prospective tenant fills out an application, ask for two things: previous landlords and current employers. Previous landlords will tell you if your tenant paid rent on time and how he or she treated the property. This might put some of your fears at ease if you know your new tenant is clean and keeps the property maintained.
Next, call the prospective tenant’s current employer to check on his or her financial situation. You want to make sure your tenant stays employed and can pay rent. You don’t need to go digging into how good of an employee he or she is. Just make sure the tenant has a good income.
Highlight Your Expectations
No tenant should be unclear about what you expect from them while living on your Woodland Hills rental property. When it comes time to sign the lease, go through everything with your tenant. This may take a bit longer, but your tenant will have a clear idea of the rules.
Make sure you cover rules about smoking, pets and the number of tenants who may occupy your property. Talk about what to do if the tenant needs to break the lease and how rent should be paid each month. Make sure you leave time for questions at the end.
There’s no way to tell for certain who will be a good candidate, but if you take the time to screen properly, then you’re more likely to find good tenants who will treat your property well.