Tenant Screening Questions that Every Landlord Should Ask
As a landlord, you want to find the best tenant to occupy your rental. But how do you know which prospective tenants are the right fit? Well, the best way to find that out is by screening the potential tenants. Make a list of questions that you want to ask any prospective tenant who is looking for apartments for rent in Canada or elsewhere and wants to view your property. Tenant screening questions can reveal a lot such as the applicants’ ability to pay rent on time, their track record as a renter, and most importantly, whether they will adhere to the lease agreement.
However, some landlords believe strongly in their gut instinct and don’t ask many screening questions apart from the ones related to the applicant’s rental history or finances. But, it’s important to include a wide array of questions as they will help you weed out tenants who aren’t suitable for your property. Here are some of the most important questions that you should ask prospective tenants during the screening process:
Screening Questions that Landlords Should Ask Tenants
- Why are you moving?
Being a landlord, you would like to know the reason why the prospective tenant is looking for apartments for rent in Canada or any other location. Their response will help you find out if he/she is moving into your property for a good reason. Answers such as a need for a bigger space, family expansion, or a change in jobs are acceptable reasons. On the other hand, if the reason includes disputes with the landlord or eviction from the previous property, it needs to be considered as a red flag.
- When do you plan on moving?
This is another very important question to ask while screening the tenant. After all, it’s crucial that both your and your tenant’s timelines coincide. For instance, if your property is vacant, you will want a tenant who can move in immediately. But what if the prospective tenant needs at least a few months to move in? In that case, you may want to end the conversation there and look for another tenant whose moving dates aligns with yours.
- Have you ever been evicted before?
No one wants to rent their property to someone with a history of breaking leases or evictions. Maybe they were evicted due to property damage or they might have experienced a rough patch and struggled to pay rent but are now financially stable.
Did you know, at Home Finders, you can not only list your property for free but also have access to our pre-screened tenant database that displays the tenants’ credit scores and history? This way, you can easily find out if the potential tenant has ever been convicted or not.
- What is your monthly income?
Should you want to make sure that your tenants to pay rent on time, don’t forget to ask them about their monthly income. And it is not just about the monthly rent. Will they be able to pay the security deposit and other fees as well? You can ask for a credit report to see if they have a strong history of making on-time payments.
The Bottom Line:
Apart from these, there are many other tenant screening questions that you can ask prospective tenants. Some of them include- ‘Do you have pets?’, ‘How many people would be living with you?’, ‘Are you willing to sign a 1-year lease agreement?’, and more. At Home Finders, we provide our clients with the best platforms to advertise and manage their rental properties. Added to that, our pre-screened tenant database offers a wide list of tenants who are looking for apartments for rent in Canada. To get in touch with us, visit our website today.