Putting a house on rent to a random tenant is risky as you never know who they are. So, what are the questions to ask renters as a landlord? Before giving them the key, it is better to ask them basic questions to learn more about their habits, work, and nature. This can help you exclude unwanted applications to locate potential tenants for a long-term contract.
Here are some tenant screening questions to help you find the right person and make things easy if the house requires maintenance.
10 questions to ask renters as a landlord
1. Where are they currently living?
Your prospective tenant must be living somewhere, so it is better to ask them about their current living place, whether they live on monthly rent or with someone else. This gives you an idea of their area and what facilities they expect from you.
2. Why do you want a new place to live in?
Take your time to learn why a prospective tenant wants to move. This simple question can reveal all the issues they faced in the previous house and their expectations from their new landlord. A few reasonable explanations would be enough, but contacting their previous landlord to see all sides of the story is better.
3. How many people will live in a unit?
This is better to know so you won’t have excessive people in a unit with fewer bedrooms. Giving one bedroom to four people is not a good option. Also, if your areas have legal limits regarding the number of tenants in one property, knowing how many people will live in one unit can save you from legal notices. Also, this will give you an idea of how many parking spaces your tenant requires.
4. Do you have pets?
Not every landlord is a fan of pets because they can damage the property. So, if you don’t like to have pets running in your prosperity, it is better to ask the tenant and let them know the rules during the rental application process. This saves time for both parties and also any future complications. On the other hand, let the tenant know what pet size is allowed on your property, so they won’t bring something big if you allow them to have pets.
5. A rough estimate of their income?
As a landlord, you must ensure your potential tenant can pay rent on time, and one way is to learn about their income. During the tenant screening process, you can ask them about their monthly income in a simple way so they won’t feel offended. It would be even better to ask them about their rental history to learn how good they are when paying rent.
6. Have you ever had an eviction?
A past eviction can predict a future eviction, so it is better to ask the tenant about their eviction history as a preliminary tenant screening question. If they say yes, then you better proceed with caution. On the other hand, a quick meeting with their previous landlord can also help solve this complication.
7. Is it easy for you to pay the required security deposit?
You can have a little session with your potential tenants to inform them about the required security deposit. It must be reasonable so both parties are comfortable paying and receiving it.
8. Are you willing to do the year-long lease agreement?
This depends on how long you want a lease agreement with your tenant. Typically, it should be at least one year before you decide to update the terms with the rent, but some tenants are more comfortable with a more extended agreement, so they don’t have to pay more rent the following year. It is better to have a little session and develop a contract suitable for both parties.
9. Have you broken a rental agreement before?
It is mandatory to ask all rental applicants you meet this question to get a better idea of how well they abide by the rules. While rental agreements have some clauses regarding leaving the property before the agreed-tune, it should be done in a way that won’t affect the landlord in any case.
10. Do you have any questions for me?
Never conclude the meeting without letting the renter ask some questions. This improves their confidence and develops a friendly and strong relationship between both parties.
People also ask
How many questions should I ask the renter?
There is no limit to the number of questions you can ask, but among the responsibilities of a landlord, it is better to keep them fewer not to make the renter uncomfortable.
Should I ask for a credit report from renters?
It is not mandatory, but you can ask for a credit report for safety purposes and to check the payment performance of a renter. It is one of the qualities that are appealing to a landlord for a renter to have a good credit report.
What to do if the renter won’t answer my questions?
You have all the right to reject a renter if they are not answering your questions or avoid answering important questions like their experience with a previous landlord, paying a security deposit, etc.
