When You Rent A Property, You Get More Than Just The Rental Unit

10 SIGNS THE LANDLORD OF THE RENTAL YOU’RE INTERESTED IN WILL BE A PROBLEM

Markets can be funny things with lots of gravitational pull. With real estate prices so high and little sign of them coming down, rental prices have also risen dramatically. Financial responsibilities and obligations of rental property owners, like everything these days, continue to increase and ultimately it comes out as higher rents. Ideally, this also leads to higher quality rentals…but that’s not always the case. Nexus’ leasing agents, across four different states, are hearing from more and more tenant candidates that there are some really bad properties out there. Surely, this signals that the market is attracting some charlatans trying to get rich quick by exploiting those in need. So…Nexus wanted to share a bit more about the importance of finding not just a property of your liking, but a landlord/property management company you can trust.

BEFORE THE SHOWING

If attention to your inquiries and requests has been slow, unimpressive, or even nonexistent early on, it’s likely a sign of things to come.

1. NON-RESPONSIVE DURING ADVERTISEMENT

If you’re reaching out because you’re interested in renting from someone and they don’t get back to you, that means something. From time to time it’s because they’ve already filled the vacancy, but whether that’s the case or not, the meaning is the same: they don’t care enough to deserve your continued interest. An owner who doesn’t respond doesn’t care, and if they don’t care now, they’re not going to care enough to meet your needs should you become the tenant there.

2. ONLINE REVIEWS

If the person or company you’re potentially renting from has online reviews, be sure to look through them. The star rating and number of reviews is a good piece of data to help you paint a picture of how your experience might be. Key in on reviews from tenants as their accounts will be most relevant. It’s often difficult for property management companies to make all parties happy at once, despite their best efforts so the descriptions and accounts hold a lot of value. Similarly, be wary of the perfect 5 star review and comb through those closely as well. There are some excellent companies out there who are great with relationships and keeping people happy, but very few that are legitimate are without a wart or two. Your taking the time to examine and verify is well worth the effort.

3. IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

If you find a listing and what you’re reading or seeing seems too good to be true, it very likely is. With photos and videos at your fingertips, it should be easier than ever to assess what an appropriate rental price is. There are some rentals out there that are still way below market, but they’re all occupied and are at that price because landlords have left them there from years past. There is no one renting vacant units at “deal” or “bargain” prices. It’s just not happening.

From time to time there are entities that will clone other listings. They’ll take the photos and descriptions but provide their own contact info. Often they may say they can get the property for less than is listed if you just send them a deposit now. Regardless of what form the scam might take, be aware that if it seems like you’re getting a great deal and you haven’t seen the property in person yet, it may indeed be too good to be true.

LEARN MORE: AT THE END OF THE DAY, TENANTS ARE THE ONES LEFT HOLDING THE BAG

ONCE YOU’VE SEEN THE PROPERTY IN PERSON

An important part of the rental process is actually seeing the property in person. Nexus highly recommends visiting doing more than just meeting with the owner or leasing agent at the time assigned. You should dedicate time before or after to physically look more closely at the neighborhood. Get a feel for the neighborhood to better predict your experience. Beyond that, you also want to pay close attention to the rental unit itself and be on the lookout for the following:

4. DISHONEST ADVERTISING / RENTAL UNIT IS IN DISREPAIR

It is shocking how many of our eventual tenants share stories of showing up to look at other properties and finding them in terrible condition. In search of quicker income, bad landlords are skipping full cleaning as evidenced by hair in drains or spider crumbs in room corners or evidence of other animal activity. If the rental hasn’t been given the attention all rentals need during transition, you’re just moving into someone else’s problems.

5. NO ATTENTION GIVEN TO COMMON AREAS

If the rental is a multi-family or a condo it will have shared common areas. If there are broken lights or other items that don’t work, that’s a red flag. Safety is essential in these areas and if you see evidence of neglect, expect it to expand beyond these areas. Peeling paint and built up dirt and dust show that landlords just don’t care, and you can do better.

LEARN MORE: WHICH OF THE 4 TYPES OF LANDLORD ARE YOU DEALING WITH?

NEXT STEPS

If the rental property you’re interested has passed the items noted above and you’re ready to apply and possibly move in, there are still a couple tell-tale signs that you may be dealing with a landlord that is going to be trouble:

6. NONEXISTENT OR SUSPICIOUS CONTRACTS

If you’re ready to apply and there’s no application, do not move forward. If you apply and are approved and there’s no lease, do not move forward. Applications are an essential tool for owners to gather information about you and your fitness as a potential tenant. If they don’t do their due diligence for you, they certainly haven’t for your neighbors nor the previous tenants. Who knows what problems are waiting for you from past tenant neglect or future conflicts with those in your building.

Leases protect both parties and they are essential in establishing boundaries and expectations. A landlord with any experience, who follows laws and regulations, knows the importance of a written lease. If they don’t offer one there’s a reason (i.e. avoiding lead disclosure?). It might feel like a benefit that you haven’t been provided with written, official rules for your tenancy, but when a conflict arises it’s going to be extra difficult and extra time consuming to figure out.

7. ACCEPT CASH PAYMENT

Once upon a time, cash was king. Those days have passed. The problem with cash is it cannot be easily tracked. A landlord who is asking for cash is likely cutting corners and avoiding reporting rent as income. U.S. tax code is already very favorable for rental property owners so avoiding reporting income suggests that this owner is in very bad financial shape and likely performs little to no maintenance, which would offset those expenses.

It’s also inefficient. It is difficult to safely mail cash and if it goes missing you’re out four figures without any evidence that you’d ever sent it. Additionally, landlords can simply claim they never received it or that what they received was less than you’d sent. So you’d need to meet in person and then ask for a receipt each time.

LEARN MORE: WHY LANDLORDS SHOULD NEVER ACCEPT CASH

YOU’VE MOVED IN BUT SOMETHING’S A BIT OFF

You’re in your new rental and everything has gone successfully so far but you still want to be on the lookout to make sure you’re not being taken advantage of by an unfit landlord.

8. IGNORING/REJECTING MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

Owners of rental properties have the obligation to ensure tenant’s safety and comfort (within reason). Nexus’ clients think about maintenance requests as opportunities to improve and increase the value of their properties. If your landlord repeatedly rejects or ignores reasonable maintenance requests, you’ve got a strong signal that your experience is not going to be a good one. This is the common denominator for all slumlords.

9. FREQUENT RENT INCREASES

Landlords can’t increase your rent in the middle of your lease term, but if you’re on a month-to-month lease they have more flexibility. A good landlord will not raise your rent more than once in a year. Yes, landlords are getting hit with increased insurance, higher taxes, and added expenses across the board, but it’s still not fair to raise your rent every time they get a bump. Often tenants don’t like it, but this is why those once a year increases might be a little larger. It shows your landlord is planning ahead and won’t be tapping into you everytime expenses increase.

10. LEGAL VIOLATIONS

It’s often tough to get a feel for legal violations as a tenant but most simply you can assess whether or not heat is provided as outlined by state law. There are basics that all rental property owners need to provide and if they’re unable to do so, that’s a violation. You can also observe any violations that are reported to city/town inspectors and how they respond. If the town says the porch is unsafe and the owner doesn’t address it, you likely want to find a new porch, and a new place to live.

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Mick Lefort is the General Manager of Nexus' New Haven County Franchise Office and the Vice President of Operations for Nexus Property Management®, a National Property Management Franchise that manages all types of rental property from single family homes or condos to large apartment buildings and complexes.

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