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Property Manager | Spotting Fake Landlord References (Scott Properties)

Property Manager | Spotting Fake Landlord References

As a property manager, one application process you are in charge of is checking references for previous landlords. Checking these references is one task you never want to skip because references tell you vital information about your prospective tenant that may not show up on the background or credit check. If previous landlords didn’t report to the credit bureau or sue the tenant, you might not ever know if they paid rent on time or if they damaged the property. Many tenants who have had problems with landlords or a property manager in the past will ask their friends or family to provide false references, pretending to be a previous landlord. You can easily spot these fakers by following these tips:

 

  1. Don’t tell them who you are. If you call asking for Joe Smith and they ask who you are, don’t say that you’re a property manager calling about a reference. You want to catch the imposter off guard by pretending to be a renter yourself. Inquire about available homes for rent, and if the landlord begins to humble over their words or suddenly hangs up, you know you’ve got a false reference.

 

  1. When you ask questions about the tenant, the landlord should be able to give you details about that person including how long they lived at the address provided if they paid on time, and other details. If the “landlord” is vague or tells you, they can’t remember, these can be red flags for false references.

 

  1. Search for the “landlord” online. If this person is a legitimate landlord, you should be able to find their name and phone number linked to rental properties or a property management company. You can also search the name on social media and see if they seem to be linked to the tenant such as being Facebook friends or listing each other as family. These are huge red flags for false references.

 

Taking the time to go through dozens of references every time you have a new property for rent can be tedious and exhausting. Consider hiring a property manager from Scott Properties to help you manage your rental home efficiently and with great return on investment. Call us today 843-352-8413.

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Property Manager | Why A Property Manager Should Accept Online Rent Payments (SCOTT PROPERTIES)

Property Manager | Why A Property Manager Should Accept Online Rent Payments

Property Manager | Tenants have hundreds of excuses for why they can’t pay rent or can only make a partial payment. When you only accept cash, check, or money order for rent payments tenants find it easy to try to haggle their way into an extension on rent. When you accept online rent payments from tenants, they start to run out of excuses for why they can’t pay rent on time. There are certain excuses that online portals help to squash.

1. Money Related Excuses- Tenants will tell you dozens of different stories about why they didn’t have the money for rent. From other bills being too high to a child or family member falling ill, or the government being late on payments, a tenant that doesn’t have the money will want you to empathize. Online portals help tenants to manage their money better because they can make small payments throughout the month to try to get ahead after their rent is paid and they can track their rent through their online account.

2. Transportation-Related Excuses- The check got lost in the mail. The money order got wet in the mailbox. My car broke down, and I couldn’t make it into the office. It’s snowing outside, and the roads are bad. Tenants who rely on someone physically taking their rent payment to another location can always use transportation as an excuse. Online rent payments make it easy for tenants to pay from the comfort of their home or even from their phone while on the go.

3. Confusion on Due Dates- Some tenants will tell a property manager that the reason they are late on rent is that they were confused on the due dates, rent amount, or any other fees that they owe. This is a common excuse for new tenants especially. Online rental portals can send reminders to tenants about when rent is due and how much the tenant owes. Paying rent online and having a tenant account eliminates confusion on the details of rent.

If you are ready to take your rental property business to a new level with a property manager that can manage rentals contact Scott Properties.

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Property Manager | 25 Most Commonly Asked Questions by Prospective Tenants (SCOTT PROPERTIES)

Property Manager | 25 Most Commonly Asked Questions by Prospective Tenants

When a property manager is showing homes, they need to be prepared to answer common questions that prospective tenants will have regarding the property and the property manager business. When you can’t answer common questions, tenants have their trust in your property management company drops. Before you show another rental home make sure you can answer the following questions:

1. What is the rent, deposit, pet deposit, and application fees?

2. What lease terms do you offer? Can I get a discount for signing a longer lease?

3. What is your pet policy?

4. What do you look for on the application? How are tenants screened?

5. When is the soonest available move in date?

6. How many other applications do you have for this home?

7. What is your subleasing policy? What happens if I have to move for my job?

8. Can I list my home on Air BNB when I am not staying there?

9. What happens if we need to break our lease?

10. After my lease do I renew or go month to month?

11. Do you give notice before entering the home after I move in?

12. Is off-street parking available? What are the parking arrangements?

13. What is the crime rate in the area? Has a crime ever been committed in this home?

14. Can I paint, put up shelves or hang artwork inside the home?

15. Are any utilities included?

16. Who is responsible for lawn care and snow removal?

17. How much notice do we need to give if we do not want to renew our lease?

18. Can I plant a garden or do landscaping?

19. Can we put a pool in the backyard?

20. How do we pay rent?

21. Do we get our deposit back after we move out? How long does it take?

22. Are we required to purchase renter’s insurance?

23. What is the late fee and grace period for paying rent?

24. What school district does this home fall into?

25. What are the nearby churches/grocery stores/ department stores/ gas stations etc.

A great property manager will be able to answer all of these questions and be prepared for odd or unusual ones as well. If you are interested in learning more about Scott Properties, contact us Here.