The one super-important question that most landlords never ask is

[Anne Graviet]

"Why do you want to live here?"

Finding out their motivation for renting your place provides essential clues into how long your prospect might stay. Asking this question can save you hundreds of dollars by reducing turnover.

The family with a freshman high schooler, for example, says they want to rent your place because it's close to the school... and so you can expect they will likely want to stay 4years until graduation day.

The tenant who says "I just need a place to live" is likely bouncing around through life, looking for a place to settle into - might be your place, might not. Keep digging to find out their motivation for needing a place to live - you'll be surprised at the stories they tell!

[Marcia Maynard]

Also ask these open ended questions...

What kind of place are you looking for?

What features are important to you?

These two questions help me understand my local market better. I can easily identify which prospective tenants have given careful thought about their future home. If they have, they are more likely to take pride in where they live and take care of my property. They are also more likely to stay longer if it is a good match for their needs and wants. I gain insight into tenant mentality. I also gain ideas as to what upgrades I may want to consider to make my places more marketable and to improve tenant retention.