How to get "good tenants" (residential)

To get good tenants, you must do many things simultaneously.  Some steps are more important than others.  You must: properly prepare your business, properly prepare the rental unit, properly prepare the surrounding area (i.e., the apartment complex), effectively attract large numbers of qualified applicants, gather and evaluate the applications submitted, and then select the best and most qualified applicant.  Toward that end, you should use a good application form AND a good and "uniform" application process.   By "uniform," I mean that the application process must be the same for all applicants or you may find yourself defending a claim of discrimination.

The basic process should be as follows: Collect only basic information before the applicant sees the rental unit (i.e., a registration form, a copy of their I.D., etc.).  The purpose of this basic information is merely to track the number of tenant applicants AND for the security of the person showing the unit (i.e., the I.D. should be kept back in the main office or immediately sent to another location). 

If the applicant does not like the available unit, then the landlord need not waste time (the landlord's and the applicant's time) by having the tenant fill out an application form.

If the applicant does like the available unit, then the tenant is more likely to give complete and accurate information on the application; now is the time to have the applicant complete the tenant application form.

Use a good tenant application form.  This type of form is widely available and most tenant applications do a good job of capturing the information you need to make an informed decision about this applicant.  If you don't have a tenant application form, you may use this form. Download tenant_application.pdf

If these questions do not appear on the tenant application you are using, either add them or ask them of every tenant applicant:

• How is your credit?
• Have you ever been evicted?
• Have you ever filed bankruptcy?
• Have you ever been convicted of a crime?
• Can I call your last landlord?