There’s no easy way to it but real estate investment is the real deal. Believe it or not, there’s a good chance you can become a millionaire when the right things are done. It’s all splashed in the news: people in real estate who made millions. But the truth is no one really prepares you for what you face when you go into real estate, most especially if you are into residential real estate. Needless to say, it’s a tricky situation.
Top of your list of headaches is your tenants. Yes, you will have to handle them. And as much as you want them to be, the truth is that not all tenants are great. It’s like a class of graders. Some students are great but there are those students that never listen and cause trouble. In the real world, bad tenants can incite a problem. You can tag them as terrible tenants.
The good news is there are proven and tested ways to handle errant tenants. Learning these techniques should be strategic on your part. Here’s to start.
Tenants Who Damage Property
One of the main issues landlords have to deal with is damaged property. Some tenants don’t care about keeping the property in good shape. Well, there’s a way to handle such tenants.
First, ensure there’s a detailed inspection before any tenant moves in. Take pictures and document them. These pictures would be used as a comparison when the tenant is moving out. That way, you charge the tenant for damages done to the property lawfully.
It’s also crucial to have a written lease for tenants. Ensure that in the lease, you state the expectations when it comes to home maintenance. This way, the tenant knows what should be done to keep the home in good shape.
Another important thing is doing routine inspections. You can have house checks twice every year. Just to make sure the house is well-maintained. And just in case you find out a case of mismanagement, address the issue immediately. You can sound a note of warning so that the tenant knows you are serious about it.
Tenants Who Pay Late
Most landlords often have to deal with tenants that pay rent late or don’t pay in full. Stats show that as the pandemic wore on, about 31% of tenants can’t pay rent. This can be a hassle, especially if you have more than one of such tenants to deal with.
In handling such tenants, you need to have rigid policies. In the lease, ensure that it is clearly stated when payments should be made and how they should be made. It is also vital that you note what happens when a tenant defaults and doesn’t pay on time. And ensure that you indeed do what you state would be done if a tenant doesn’t pay.
Also, make sure you create reminders. Having an automated reminder would be great. Choose a date before the due date to remind your tenants. By doing this, your tenants start sourcing the money for rent.
It’s also necessary to have a grace period. It shouldn’t be that you get all your tenants kicked out once they don’t pay on the expected date. If you do that, you may not have any tenants on your property again.
Take note there’s a tried-and-tested way to go about this. To avoid the hassle that comes with the rent issue, you can hire professional property management. By doing so, you ensure proper cash flow from tenants.
Best of all, you have professional people who can handle such headaches with ease. So you wouldn’t have to be running after tenants if you have good management.
Tenants Who Always Complain
There will be tenants that always complain. They are never satisfied by anything done on the property. And always request for something to be fixed or changed. So what can you do?
As a landlord, you should know your legal obligations. As much as there are things you should fix as the landlord, it isn’t everything that’s your job. Also, learn to say no to requests that are not your job.
Lawbreakers
Remember when it comes to tenants that break the law, it’s about you as well. Take note, if your tenant breaks the law on your property, this can be damaging for your business.
To ensure you avoid such, properly screen applicants right from the get-go. Ensure there is no recent criminal history. Also, watch out for illegal activities or behaviors that indicate such.
You can as well do regular impromptu inspections in the home. By doing this, you may come across signs that indicate illegal activities. If after a few visits you notice such, document your findings. Then get your attorney involved to help out with either eviction or involving the police.
Gregarious Tenants
There’s no crime in having guests come over. But some tenants just enjoy having so many other people come to stay with them. And in many cases, the landlord isn’t even informed. Ensure that you clearly state that subletting is not allowed. It should be stated clearly in the lease.
You can also find out if other people are staying with your tenant with general inspections. If you stumble into one, ensure you discuss it with your tenant. It’s vital you voice out your dissatisfaction calmly so that the issue won’t repeat itself. And everyone lives happily ever after.
