rental | Houston 4 Lease

5 Questions that Should be asked of Prospective Tenants

December 18, 2018 by bruce lessey

Most people are very selective about where they choose to live. They can spend weeks and even months deciding on where they will move. Well, as a property owner you should be equally choosy about who you decide to rent to. By making the right choice, you are increasing the chances that the new relationship – that of tenant/property owner – will be both productive and prosperous. Let’s, go over some of the most important questions you should ask prospective tenants before allowing them to move on to your property.

Have you ever broken a lease? Not only should this question be asked in order to help you determine the likelihood that a prospective tenant may not live up to the terms of their lease, but it should also be asked to gauge the potential renter’s honestly. If the tenant has broken a lease before, you should investigate the circumstances behind the incident. You still may wish to rent to a tenant who has broken a lease but you may also wish to require additional securities in order to minimize your risk as a landlord.
Do you have a checking account? Do you have a savings account? A potential tenant who does not have a bank account may simply have not gotten around to doing so. However, he/she may also not have an account as a way of avoiding a current garnishment or because he/she is hiding illegal income. Though not a deal breaker, be wary if this question is answered in the negative.
What kind of work do you do? This will help you to determine income and ability to pay. Moreover, since employment in some industries is cyclical, it may also tell you that a potential tenant may face a lay off, etc., in the future.
How long will you live here? Turnover can be one of the most expensive things a landlord can face. Ask this question to weed out transient applicants who will only cost you money in the long run by occupying a property that someone who intends to stay a while could desire to rent.
How did you hear about this home? The answer will help you to determine which of your marketing channels is paying off.

Questions to Avoid Asking

Just as important as the questions you should ask of potential tenants, are questions you should avoid in order to lessen the chance of legal action being taken against you. These questions pertain to:

Race
National origin
Skin color
Religion
Sex
Familial status (e.g. married or single tenants, tenants with or without children)
Disability

In short, by screening tenants carefully you will be better able to find well-behaved tenants who will be likely to stay long term. Our Houston property management company can relieve some of the stress of owning a property. When tenants ask “help me rent my house in Houston” we can also be assistance.

5 Valid Reasons to Evict a Tenant

October 19, 2018 by bruce lessey

While no one can deny that being evicted can be a life-changing event for renters, the process is no day at the beach for property owners either. In fact, it is probably the worst part of managing a property. It is a legal headache like few landlords will ever face. Yet it is a fundamental part of property management. But when is it proper to evict a tenant? Here’s a look at five perfectly valid reasons for sending out a notice of eviction.

Failure to pay the rent or habitually late payments: If after giving due notice about failing to pay rent the tenant still does not pay, he/she can be evicted. This is why it is a good idea for a landlord to keep documentation of all correspondence sent or received from all tenants. Maintaining a good paper trail helps all parties in such matters.
Illegal use of property: Of course a tenant must first be served with a Notice to Quit before you do it but you can evict a tenant for operating an illegal business out of a residential property. This can range from a operating a legal business that is not zoned for particular neighborhood to an obviously illegal enterprise such as drug dealing.
Health or safety violations: Again, you must serve the tenant with a Notice to Quit before doing so but if the property is deemed to be a hazard to public health or safety a tenant can be evicted.
Lease violation: This is the second most common reason to evict a tenant and covers a whole range activities and behaviors. However, the policies must be clearly stated in the lease in order for landlords to have a strong case for eviction. Violations could include things like unauthorized pets, unapproved subletting, improper use, etc.
Expiration of lease: Sometimes a landlord and a tenant can reach an impasse on whether or not they want the lease to be extended. In this case, the landlord always wins.

As you can see and as anyone who has ever gone through the process can tell you, eviction is a difficult process for all parties involved. That is why it is best to avoid it if at all possible. At Houston 4 Lease, we stand ready to help owners with any problems they may encounter. Tenant management in the inner loop of Houston can be quite difficult. We are one of the best property management companies in Houston because we have knowledge and experience that will help your property maintain and grow its value.

Technologies You can Use to Find and Manage Tenants

September 21, 2018 by bruce lessey

Technological changes in the real estate field have been coming at both the renters of houses and apartments as well sellers and landlords. For example, some of you probably know how Apple’s virtual assistant Siri, can help real estate brokers to be more efficient in making appointments, assisting with customer-service questions, etc. Well, technology can also help those who manage apartments find and keep their tenants. Any one of the following technologies can help you to get tenants in the door and to manage them once they are there.

Mobile Landlord: This app, available for both IOs and Android, centralizes the important information you will need to maintain your property. It keeps note of possible tenants, favorite contractors and even helps you set reminders for maintenance and inspections. Finally, Mobile Landlord can help you multi-task by keeping track of as many as five properties.
3D marketing and leasing apps: These days prospective tenants pretty much expect to be able to view the house or apartment they are considering moving into remotely over the Internet. This fact is especially true of Millennials. Floored is an app that allows prospective tenants to view what their space may look like before leasing. It can create 3D renderings of apartments and houses that are unfurnished and then let you see what they might look like with furniture.
Homestyler: This app lets you take the guesswork out of renovation by allowing you to picture your property as it would look with a variety of design changes. For example, It can help you visualize your floors to see how they would look if they were made of certain materials e.g., wood or tile. Homestyler even lets you place furniture into the picture to help prospective tenants get a better look at what their new home could look like.
Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a site that can quickly put you in contact with responsible and qualified contractors in just about every field. It can come in particularly helpful when you face a maintenance emergency and need someone to help put things back on track with your property. The way it works is that you state your specific need on the site and wait for be bids and proposals from handymen and other professionals. As a landlord, you’ll more than likely employ your own maintenance person or crew but Thumbtack can be a valuable back up just in case.

As you can see, when it comes to the real estate business the race is not for the swift but for those who endure. And the way to endure in today’s market is to use technology in your favor to screen, attract and retain tenants. Our company, which handles property management inside loop 610 and property management in Houston, helps you to grow your business and to improve it for the sake of you and your tenants.

Tenant Screening Tips for your Residential Property

July 20, 2018 by bruce lessey

You’ve heard the old adage that when it comes to real estate: it’s all about location, location, location. Well, when it comes to property management it is all about tenants, tenants, tenants. In other words, selecting the right tenants is probably the most important part of property management there is. You want to make sure that the tenants are a right fit for your property and vice versa. But doing so is not always easy. Tenants who you would just as soon not inhabit your properties sometimes end up doing so. So, while the list below is by no means complete, it should get you started.
• Understand the laws: You will naturally want to make sure that you abide by all federal and state laws that cover tenants and landlords. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Fair Housing Act so that you do not commit illegal discrimination against qualified tenants. You cannot, for example, base your decision to rent on race, religion, national origin, gender, age or family status. Finally, be sure to consult with an attorney or with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development if you have any questions in this regard.
• Have a set of written criteria that every applicant must meet: These items should include income requirements, credit range, and verifiable references.
• Know where to advertise: Avoid sites like Craigslist and similar sites. These kinds of sites are frequented by scammer and schemers. Make an investment in sites like rentals.com, rentalhomesplus.com, Zillow, Trulia, etc. That nominal monetary investment could pay off in the end.
• Ask questions: Ask screening questions of all your prospective tenants such as: Why are you moving? Will you agree to a background check? Have you ever been evicted? Can you pay the first month’s rent and full security deposit on or before your move-in day, etc? Finally, be clear and fair when you question prospective tenants.
• Do background checks: Use a reliable company to determine whether or not an applicant is employed where they say they are what their credit history is and whether or not they have a criminal record or eviction. tenant screening
In short, have high standards when seeking out new tenants. This will help you to protect your property and ensure that your tenants will enjoy their new residence. For tenant management in the inner loop of Houston we can help you make smart decisions regarding your property. Our rental management in the inner loop has many services that will also save you time and potentially money.