First of all, congratulations on doing your due diligence in screening your tenants. Checking tenant references is important to protect and manage your investment property (trust me on this one!). There are three categories of references to consider: Former Landlords, Employers and Friends/Family. Below are my three favorite questions I employ for each category. For a full and detailed list, check out this article by Pendo, a company that offers on-line managment tools for landlords: Top 10 Reference Questions to Avoid Bad Tenants
Former Landlords:
- Would you rent to this person again? Did you ever get complaints from neighbours? Was the rent paid on time and in full?
Employers:
- Can you confirm the tenant is employed at this company? What is the tenant's monthly salary? Does the tenant come to work on time?
Friends/Family:
- Have you been to this person's house before? Would you rent to this person, and why/why not? Does the tenant smoke?
Remember to have the tenant sign a release allowing you to collect this information, and make those calls! They may save you endless amounts of energy down the road!
Joanne Hoekstra is a Realtor® and Sales Advisor with rennie & Associates Realty and currently part of the Tsawwassen Shores sales team. Joanne is experienced in helping buyers find their perfect community and also works with investors building their real estate portfolio. She is always on the look out for great investment opportunities. Joanne can be reached at 604-722-6645 or jhoekstra@rennie.com or follow Joanne on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jhoekstra.rennie
