Landords - What is the most important question you can ask a potential tenant?

yqtwqxqm

I let through airbnb but since im for all intents and purposes retired now and my brother is sending more time abroad he has me letting his properties for him when he is away.

He insists that the most important question that I ask (among lots of questions), when talking to their last 3 landlords is this.

"Did the tenant pay their rent to the last day or did they insist that you use their deposit as the last months rent"

My brother has instructed me to immediately eliminate a potential tenant if they did ever use the deposit as the last months rent.

While I myself would probably eliminate someone based on this too, i think the single most important question is

"Has the tenant ever missed the rent? why?"

What are others views on the single most important question to have answered when letting a property?

I might steal a few of them.

snubbleste

Will you take me to the RTB if I fail to fulfill my obligations?

yqtwqxqm

snubbleste wrote: »

Will you take me to the RTB if I fail to fulfill my obligations?

LOL

I was looking for questions for tenants and referees about their history that can be checked though, not about the future

MarkAnthony

Gut feeling IMHO.

Sad Professor

According to many landlords in this forum, paying the last month's rent out of the deposit is the norm. I'd never heard of this before and always received the deposit separately, but if it is that common I don't think a tenant should be judged for it. Especially in the absence of a deposit protection scheme and the perception among tenants that some landlords think the deposit is free money.

I think the best thing a landlord can do is meet the person and make a personal judgment. No amount of payslips or bank statements or cash-at-hand is going to tell you if the person is of good character. There's always a risk of somebody falling on hard times and being late one month or going into arrears. It doesn't mean they won't pay you back and that they are a bad tenant.

Baby01032012

Ill explain it in simple terms...would you expect a bank to ignore bank statements or payslips when considering giving a mortgage over the property...no different for landlords...its a business and an investment..gut feelings dont come in to it

MarkAnthony

Yes you check the references etc. Of course you do, but over a period of time dealing with people you get a sense for these things. The OP asked for the MOST important thing. Clearly there is a litany of things than need to be done/checked but the most important is getting the right vibes from the prospective tenant.

athtrasna

Who ended the lease and why?

If their previous landlord didn't renew the lease there's often a reason other than financial or geography.

yqtwqxqm

Sad Professor wrote: »

According to many landlords in this forum, paying the last month's rent out of the deposit is the norm. I'd never heard of this before and always received the deposit separately, but if it is that common I don't think a tenant should be judged for it. Especially in the absence of a deposit protection scheme and the perception among tenants that some landlords think the deposit is free money.

I think the best thing a landlord can do is meet the person and make a personal judgment. No amount of payslips or bank statements or cash-at-hand is going to tell you if the person is of good character. There's always a risk of somebody falling on hard times and being late one month or going into arrears. It doesn't mean they won't pay you back and that they are a bad tenant.

Well of course you are going to want to meet them.
But given the amount of people involved nowadays (im sure in the future there wont be enough tenants at some point, but today there are too many to interview) you must narrow it down based on certain criteria first and then meet who is left.
You should already have their references emailed to you in advance of meeting them and assuming you like them and they like the property you can put them on your short list and then start checking out references.

On the using the deposit as the last months rent, it leaves the landlord exposed and if not agreed beforehand with the landlord it is a blatant refusal to stick to the terms of the lease at the point where the landlord can do nothing about it.
Some landlords might be ok with that and will say it was agreed before the last month to do it that way, but should a landlord tell me that the tenant did this without their agreement, well that tells me something important about the person and will certainly weigh heavily among my other criteria for which tenant to choose.

yqtwqxqm

athtrasna wrote: »

Who ended the lease and why?

If their previous landlord didn't renew the lease there's often a reason other than financial or geography.

Thats a great one and can also fit in nicely with talking to multiple previous landlords.
I ask for a reference from their current landlord and the two before that. The further back you go, the more likely they are to be honest. Current landlord might give a great reference to get rid of a problem tenant, but if that tenant has been gone some time he will tell you the full story without fear of not being able to get rid of them.

Boater123

If talking to a previous LL:

"Would you rent to the tenant again?"

Sad Professor

Baby01032012 wrote: »

Ill explain it in simple terms...would you expect a bank to ignore bank statements or payslips when considering giving a mortgage over the property...no different for landlords...its a business and an investment..gut feelings dont come in to it

Are you really going to pass on a tenant because their previous landlord said they were a week late once or because they they don't have all the documentation? I think most landlords would want to meet a potential tenant and get a sense of the person.

yqtwqxqm

Sad Professor wrote: »

Are you really going to pass on a tenant because their previous landlord said they were a week late once or because they they don't have all the documentation? I think most landlords would want to meet a potential tenant and get a sense of the person.

5 people in a room.
you like them all equally. All lovely people. You would have any of them if it was only them.
4 have never been late with rent and one has been late.
Who would you choose to let your property to?

And thats why history is important.

Sad Professor

yqtwqxqm wrote: »

Well of course you are going to want to meet them.
But given the amount of people involved nowadays (im sure in the future there wont be enough tenants at some point, but today there are too many to interview) you must narrow it down based on certain criteria first and then meet who is left.
You should already have their references emailed to you in advance of meeting them and assuming you like them and they like the property you can put them on your short list and then start checking out references.

Presumedly if you are ringing up previous landlords, you have already narrowed them down, though, and are ready to offer the tenancy to that person. If you are ready to do this on the basis of their written references and your meeting with them, it would silly to refuse them at the last moment because their last landlord said they were late once or that they took the deposit out of the last month's rent.

On the using the deposit as the last months rent, it leaves the landlord exposed and if not agreed beforehand with the landlord it is a blatant refusal to stick to the terms of the lease at the point where the landlord can do nothing about it.
Some landlords might be ok with that and will say it was agreed before the last month to do it that way, but should a landlord tell me that the tenant did this without their agreement, well that tells me something important about the person and will certainly weigh heavily among my other criteria for which tenant to choose.

I wouldn't personally take the deposit out of the last month's rent, but if the tenant thinks it's the norm to do so, can they be blamed? I guess it would depend on whether landlord told them to pay their rent as normal and that they'd return the deposit after they have inspected the house.

MarkAnthony

yqtwqxqm wrote: »

5 people in a room.
you like them all equally. All lovely people. You would have any of them if it was only them.
4 have never been late with rent and one has been late.
Who would you choose to let your property to?

And thats why history is important.

Possibly the only honest one! :pac:

Sad Professor wrote: »

I wouldn't personally take the deposit out of the last month's rent, but if the tenant thinks it's the norm to do so, can they be blamed? I guess it would depend on whether landlord told them to pay their rent as normal and that they'd return the deposit after they have inspected the house.

Sad Professor meet Mr. Chancer, Chancer - Sad Professor.

Sad Professor

yqtwqxqm wrote: »

5 people in a room.
you like them all equally. All lovely people. You would have any of them if it was only them.
4 have never been late with rent and one has been late.
Who would you choose to let your property to?

And thats why history is important.

Has never been late according to who? The previous landlord, who might be lying to get rid of them, or might be a friend or relative.

yqtwqxqm

Sad Professor wrote: »

Has never been late according to who? The previous landlord, who might be lying to get rid of them, or might be a friend or relative.

Current and 2 previous landlords minimum.

But you didnt answer the question.
Assume all of the facts are true and verifiable, and all are equally nice people who you like. Would you put the person who has been late above the rest or below them in the pecking order?

Spanish Eyes

Are previous landlords honest when it comes to dodgy tenants they had? I'm not saying they will be dishonest, but maybe economical with the truth? After all it is not their problem anymore.

I get that they will gush about the good ones though. Which is every tenant, right?

Anyone heard of a bad reference? Interested to know...

PRTB should also provide a reference saying no disputes.

yqtwqxqm

Sad Professor wrote: »

Presumedly if you are ringing up previous landlords, you have already narrowed them down, though, and are ready to offer the tenancy to that person. If you are ready to do this on the basis of their written references and your meeting with them, it would silly to refuse them at the last moment because their last landlord said they were late once or that they took the deposit out of the last month's rent.



I wouldn't personally take the deposit out of the last month's rent, but if the tenant thinks it's the norm to do so, can they be blamed? I guess it would depend on whether landlord told them to pay their rent as normal and that they'd return the deposit after they have inspected the house.

Normally you have it narrowed down to several people.
Only after you meet them would you call referees.
I usually narrow it down to 3 and then contact referees because some might still drop out at that stage.

If their previous landlord wasnt happy that they used their deposit as their last months rent then they that tells you that they took the P.

MarkAnthony

Incidentally there has been a decision (RTB or DPA can't recall) that references can only be contacted after the place has been offered. However the potential tenant can always waive that requirement.

yqtwqxqm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Are previous landlords honest when it comes to dodgy tenants they had? I'm not saying they will be dishonest, but maybe economical with the truth? After all it is not their problem anymore.

I get that they will gush about the good ones though. Which is every tenant, right?

Anyone heard of a bad reference? Interested to know...

I cant think of a reason to be dishonest about a good tenant apart from to make sure they go. That reason dissipates when the tenant is gone though. Thats why you ask several previous landlords.

Spanish Eyes

yqtwqxqm wrote: »

I cant think of a reason to be dishonest about a good tenant apart from to make sure they go. That reason dissipates when the tenant is gone though. Thats why you ask several previous landlords.

I was referring to Bad Tenants.

Anyone ever got a bad reference for them?

Anyway, how does one find previous landlords? They could be anyone

yqtwqxqm

MarkAnthony wrote: »

Incidentally there has been a decision (RTB or DPA can't recall) that references can only be contacted after the place has been offered. However the potential tenant can always waive that requirement.

I ask them to email me references and "whatever else they fell i should know" before I decide to meet them.
I dont contact references until after i meet them as i might not like them and would have been wasting my time calling referees in that case.
But if they have no references, or not enough, then i find out and dont have to meet them.
Saves everyone wasted time.

yqtwqxqm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I was referring to Bad Tenants.

Anyone ever got a bad reference for them?

Anyway, how does one find previous landlords? They could be anyone

You get several landlords.
You call them all.
You try as best you can to figure out if they are real.
If you arent sure they are all on the level then you go with your gut and eliminate them.
If any of them tell you not to rent to the person then you dont.
Nothing is foolproof but its the best way i know of without a register.
And you return the favour by being totally honest when another landlord calls you about a previous tenant.

MarkAnthony

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

I was referring to Bad Tenants.

Anyone ever got a bad reference for them?

Anyway, how does one find previous landlords? They could be anyone

One of the reasons LLs ask for so much info is any one element on it's own can be falsified. The more info you ask for the more difficult is it for people to cover up holes. For example, a bank statement showing rental payments of €1200 a month when the tenant insists they were renting a larger property for €2400 per month, or a LL saying the sun shines out of a tenants arse and no bank statements or rental receipts might set off a warning bell about a problem tenant.

None of this is foolproof, none of this is pleasant for anyone. The people to blame are the legislature and lack of a proper credit rating system, not tenants trying to protect their privacy or LLs their financial security.

Grolschevik

yqtwqxqm wrote:

You get several landlords. You call them all. You try as best you can to figure out if they are real. If you arent sure they are all on the level then you go with your gut and eliminate them. If any of them tell you not to rent to the person then you dont. Nothing is foolproof but its the best way i know of without a register. And you return the favour by being totally honest when another landlord calls you about a previous tenant.

Hypothetical:

Couple been in one place ten years. Landlord now selling.

Previously rented for seven years from family friend, who's now dead.

Can't remember name of previous landlord, who lived outside the country and never met them, but rented to them for five years.

What would you do?

MarkAnthony

Grolschevik wrote: »

Hypothetical:

Couple been in one place ten years. Landlord now selling.

Previously rented for seven years from family friend, who's now dead.

Can't remember name of previous landlord, who lived outside the country and never met them, but rented to them for five years.

What would you do?

Get their act together any buy somewhere...

... I'll get my coat :pac:

Spanish Eyes

MarkAnthony wrote: »

One of the reasons LLs ask for so much info is any one element on it's own can be falsified. The more info you ask for the more difficult is it for people to cover up holes. For example, a bank statement showing rental payments of €1200 a month when the tenant insists they were renting a larger property for €2400 per month, or a LL saying the sun shines out of a tenants arse and no bank statements or rental receipts might set off a warning bell about a problem tenant.

None of this is foolproof, none of this is pleasant for anyone. The people to blame are the legislature and lack of a proper credit rating system, not tenants trying to protect their privacy or LLs their financial security.

Sorry, what landlord or tenant is going to give you bank statements. Maybe some do, but I would certainly object to my personal information being handed over whether I was a tenant or a landlord.

However, maybe folk have just resigned themselves to this nowadays.

My mother had tenants with all the bells and whistles, everything perfect. Of course you know what happened next. Fourteen months later they were eventually evicted. No rent for all that time, legal bills for mum, PRTB useless, and such hassle.

She sold the house in the end. So no more rentals there for folk looking for accommodation anyway.

We looked after the property for her as she is elderly and frail now. Nothing was ever a problem. Fixed asap and so on.

Feckers of tenants. Glad Mam is out of the game now. Far too stressful and prone to dodgy stuff where the LL is the villain in the eyes of PRTB anyway.

yqtwqxqm

Grolschevik wrote: »

Hypothetical:

Couple been in one place ten years. Landlord now selling.

Previously rented for seven years from family friend, who's now dead.

Can't remember name of previous landlord, who lived outside the country and never met them, but rented to them for five years.

What would you do?

It depends how good the others who are competing with check out.
If they were the only ones looking to rent the property and i liked them then I would be happy to rent to them assuming their current landlord checked out and gave them a good reference.

Spanish Eyes

How much do you trust a previous LL reference?

They could be glad to get rid of them and pass the problem on.

On the other hand, they could be honest. LOL.

yqtwqxqm

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Sorry, what landlord or tenant is going to give you bank statements. Maybe some do, but I would certainly object to my personal information being handed over whether I was a tenant or a landlord.

However, maybe folk have just resigned themselves to this nowadays.

My mother had tenants with all the bells and whistles, everything perfect. Of course you know what happened next. Fourteen months later they were eventually evicted. No rent for all that time, legal bills for mum, PRTB useless, and such hassle.

She sold the house in the end. So no more rentals there for folk looking for accommodation anyway.

We looked after the property for her as she is elderly and frail now. Nothing was ever a problem. Fixed asap and so on.

Feckers of tenants. Glad Mam is out of the game now. Far too stressful and prone to dodgy stuff where the LL is the villain in the eyes of PRTB anyway.

Shows how vital it is that you get all the info to thoroughly check people out.
Always the possibility of getting it badly wrong, but you hope that you get good at it.
Its all about lowering your chances of getting screwed over, but you can never get that chance down to zero.
And its a lot harder now because my god does a landlord get mad suffer by the system we have now when they mess up and let bad tenants in.

I like to see bank statements. I can see the previous rent going out and a salary going in. Its up to the potential tenant to give me them. They dont have to, but again we are back to if someone else does and give it to me that allows me to be more certain with them, so they will be at an advantage.