A couple of weeks ago, Realty Today featured an article on how landlords can effectively screen their prospective tenants. This time around, it's the renters' turn to learn some tips on how to choose a good landlord, which according to the blog of Robyn Woodman in Trulia, should be done before tenants entrust their private information and sign a lease. Forbes gives the following ways to do it:
1. Find Foreclosures
According to the Wall Street Journal, it's possible that your dream apartment is in the foreclosure stage. Despite of this, a landlord may try to rent an apartment he or she doesn't even own. The result? Your deposit may just disappear and worse, your access to your home.
Look into tax records and check who actually owns the rental. If have a contract with a property management company, find out any recent foreclosures for their properties. If the company is in trouble or has declared bankruptcy, your lease terms might be cut short.
2. Check Criminal Records
Know if your landlord has prior convictions, from fraud to assault. If a criminal record can disqualify a potential tenant, the same applies to a landlord. eHow.com offers several tips on searching for criminal records.
3. Consider Complaints
Yahoo.com suggests that you can investigate potential complaints thru the Better Business Bureau. Likewise you may "check websites such as Yelp for complaints about the landlord. You can also check with your city or county Chamber of Commerce to see if they register complaints or have knowledge of any other local agencies that would keep such information."
4. Talk to the Tenants
Whenever you get the chance of doing it alone, knock on the doors of one or two residents and find out their opinion about your potential landlord. There's a great possibility that an unsatisfied tenant will speak out. Ask additional questions like how often the landlord raises rent, what needs repair and if the landlord is responsive, if he or she makes unannounced visits. Ask your landlord for references from former tenants. There might be something to hide if he or she refuses or gives you a hard time.
5. Dig into the Damage
Look into public property records or do a research on the internet to determine if the building has had any disastrous events such as fires, floods, hurricane, earthquake. Watch out also for visible signs of damages and infestations.
