7 Qualities of a Perfect Tenant

"The perfect tenant makes a landlord's job easy!"
Lance Camby, Property Manager, RCW & Company

Searching for the perfect tenant isn't overly complicated, but you've got to have your focus and attention on the right things! At Robert C. White, we firmly believe that you can find the perfect tenant for any property if you screen properly and have some redundancy  built it. Your perfect, dream tenant, should posses all seven of the qualities listed below; let's take a look!

1. Presents an honest application

The first step in any tenant screening process is to have them see the property and then apply for said property. To start, a perfect tenant will not be flustered by an application process or balk at small fees to apply, run credit, or process background checks. Good tenants are open and honest on their application when it comes to income level, the number of pets they have, rental history, and everything else in between. The perfect tenant is, first and foremost, honest. If you find out that an applicant has hidden something from you, deliberately or otherwise, that is a major red flag!

2. Meets income, credit, and other qualifications
The perfect tenant will make sure they meet all the qualifications before bothering to apply for your property. Whatever income, credit, and other criteria you set, good tenants will understand them in advance and won’t waste time and money applying for something they won’t get! In some instances, there may be rules that you’re willing to bend. For example, accepting 3 cats (when you specified a max of two) for an otherwise well-qualified tenant will still make sense. The perfect tenant doesn’t hide this kind of detail and is likely to accept any additional stipulations to get themselves into the property they desire, such as an increased pet fee!

For more information on setting rental qualifications read our blog post here.

3. Pays rent (and other fees) on time

This point doesn’t need much explaining. Perfect, dream tenants, will always pay their rent ON TIME. When you’re screening applicants and get to talk to a previous landlord, it’s crucial to ask about on-time rent payments. If they have a solid history, they’re more than likely to continue paying on time. This will save you time and hassle in chasing down the rent and other fees you’re owed!

By the way, even the best tenants can run into payment trouble if there is an unexpected emergency in their life. In these instances, your perfect tenant will notify you immediately and create an action plan to avoid becoming a long term payment problem. This is another place where honesty makes for a better landlord/tenant relationship!

4. Treats the property with respect
Another quality of a perfect tenant is someone that will treat your property with the utmost care and respect. While they won’t ever have ownership over your rental property, you should expect them to treat the home like it is their own. Normal wear and tear are a part of any lease term and are unavoidable. That’s not what we’re talking about here. A perfect tenant will take care of minor things on their own (tightening a loose screw on drawer handles or changing light bulbs) and be careful not to cause any major damage. This is both to their benefit and yours!

5. Is prompt in notifying you about maintenance issues

A great tenant will always notify you promptly regarding maintenance items, especially ones that could continue to deteriorate rapidly. Small repairs can quickly become large repairs that require more attention and come at an additional cost. Your perfect tenant lets you know as soon as something goes wrong so you have ample time and resources to get repairs done efficiently!

6. Follows all terms of the lease

We already discussed on-time payments, but that’s not the only part of the lease that a tenant must abide by. Your lease will probably have rules regarding pets, visitors, late fees, non-smoking, and then some. Perfect tenants follow each and every rule that is in their lease, and won’t try to slip something past you unnoticed. Terminating a lease for any reason is costly and time consuming, so find yourself the perfect tenants that you think will follow all your terms and save you that trouble. 

7. Carry a renter’s insurance policy

Great, better yet perfect tenants, will always carry a renter’s insurance policy too. Here at Robert C. White & Company, we actually require it! A renter’s policy not only protects the tenant’s personal belongings in case of emergency/destruction, but can also cover damage to your property as a result of negligence. If your tenants accidentally start a house fire, their renter’s policy can cover all or some of the damages so that you, the owner, will not have to deal with that out of your own pocket. You can also read more about these renter's policies in our Owner's Guide to Renter's Insurance.

Wrapping Up

Perfect tenants aren’t that hard to come by, but to find them will require you to do your due diligence up front! When tenants first apply to your property, verify all their information with income, credit, and background checks. Remember an honest application is the first step! You should also speak directly with their previous landlord(s) to get an idea for how they treat the property and whether or not they abide by all lease terms, because it is perfectly reasonable to deny applicants who have misrepresented themselves. That said, if a tenant happens to have all seven of the qualities listed above, you're likely making the perfect choice!