Screening for a new tenant

[Matthew Lessard]

Hi All,

My tenant of 3 years gave me his 30 day notice. In the past I would use the local real-estate association lease template as my lease along with a background check. I think its time to re-evaluate my lease and tenant screening process. However, I need some input. Please see below.

• 
  Should I have a local attorney take a look at my lease and make adjustments to it based on the laws of my state?
  
• Is there a good rule of thumb for the monthly income requirement of a tenant?
• Are there other forms/addendums I should include in the lease such as tenant utility startup, house/neighborhood rules, pet agreement etc.?

Any other input would be much appreciated. I want to make sure I am doing this the right way for my next tenant.

Thanks!