Encountered a nightmare tenant? Nightmare tenants are just around the corner and a landlord has to do his best to avoid them.

Just recently, a landlord from Ontario ended her struggle with a tenant that refused to pay rent for months. An eviction order was issued for non-payment yet the tenant abused the appeal processes several times. After almost 10 months, the tenant’s appeal got dismissed by the court. 

How much money did the landlord lose? 14 months’ worth of rent and $12,000 in legal fees. Not to mention, the stress of having to go through a lot of hassle to get rid of the bad tenant. Good thing that the landlord’s property can now be restored. What about other landlords? They should be wary of this tenant.

Tenants cause problems in other ways aside from failing to pay rent. There are tenants who try to steal from the rental, tenants who cause a lot of noise (partying), and tenants who damage your property. Ever heard of a tenant who never moves out? What about a tenant who moves out without your knowledge?

Most Tenants Appear to Be Good Tenants on the First Meeting

People who want to rent your unit show their best foot forward. If you’re a new landlord, it’s even harder to spot someone who’s a potential cause for trouble. The recent news we shared allows you to realize how important tenant screening is. It’s your responsibility to properly vet all prospective tenants, regardless of whether these tenants were highly recommended to you or not. 

Here at Landlord Prep, we provide complete templates during the application process - rental application, consent to background check, salary and employment verification, and more. Also, be sure to pre-screen all prospective tenants by asking them questions over the phone.

Learn more by reading these tenant screening blog posts:

• Top Tips for a Successful Tenant Screening Process
• Stories to Help You Understand the Importance of Tenant Screening
• Should You Use Social Media for Screening Tenants?

Want to be a successful landlord?

I offer you the opportunity to take a complete DIY landlording course: Landlord Prep: Video E-Course and How-To Tutorials. Everything you need to know to become not just a landlord, but a successful landlord, is here.